PDF malware analysis — malicious · 5e0c9dbaa6736795

MALICIOUS

PDF

187.2 KB Created: 2017-08-04 12:46:31 UTC Authoring application: TeX (via MiKTeX pdfTeX-1.40.17) First seen: 2026-05-04

MD5: b53c590c18a1217efffd941b3fb44249 SHA-1: 7fae0ff81bcbb892e80dfd0cf0100dda4f2772e1 SHA-256: 5e0c9dbaa67367952278b520f2466fead1fc43955f5578af6943f4c161e22512

576 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK

T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment T1059.007 JavaScript

The PDF contains JavaScript that utilizes the exportDataObject function to launch an embedded executable disguised as 'math.pdf'. This executable is detected as a Windows Trojan (MSShellcode-7) and likely serves as a downloader for further malicious activity. The exploit chain targets CVE-2010-1240, enabling the execution of cmd.exe to facilitate the payload delivery.

Machine Learning

Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 0.9955

Heuristics 12

Adobe Reader Launch action command execution critical CVE exact CVE_2010_1240

PDF uses the Adobe Reader/Acrobat Launch action pattern associated with CVE-2010-1240: cmd.exe is invoked with attacker-controlled parameters, paired with an embedded/exported payload.
ClamAV: Pdf.Tool.Agent-1388586 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION

ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Tool.Agent-1388586
Launch action critical PDF_LAUNCH

PDF contains a /Launch action whose target is an executable, URL, or UNC path — can start an external application
Embedded Windows executable payload in PDF stream critical PDF_EMBEDDED_PE_PAYLOAD

PDF stream bytes contain an embedded Windows executable with a verified PE header. Exploit chains often hide droppers inside ordinary streams rather than standard /EmbeddedFile attachments.
/Launch action target: cmd.exe critical PDF_LAUNCH_COMMAND

PDF /Launch action specifies an executable target with parameters '/Q /C %HOMEDRIVE%&cd %HOMEPATH%&(if exist "Desktop\\math.pdf" (cd "Desktop"' — references a known-dangerous executable (cmd, PowerShell, etc.).
Embedded attachment masquerades: declared document, content is windows-executable critical PDF_EMBEDDED_FILESPEC_CONTENT_MISMATCH

An /EmbeddedFile attachment's declared filename extension or /Subtype MIME type contradicts the magic bytes of its decompressed content. The attachment is declared as a benign document or image but the bytes are an executable or executable-bearing archive. This is a deliberate deception used to hide droppers in PDF attachments and is a generic indicator of embed-and-drop weaponisation, independent of any specific CVE.
Suspicious extracted artifact critical EXTRACTED_FILE_STATIC_TRIAGE

One or more files extracted from inside this sample matched static suspicious-content checks such as script obfuscation, encoded payload blobs, packed data, or execution/download terms.
/Launch action paired with attachment-dropping JS API high PDF_LAUNCH_PLUS_DROPPER_JS

PDF combines a /Launch action with a JavaScript API call that writes or opens an attached/external resource — the canonical shape of the CVE-2010-1240 /Launch + exportDataObject family. Benign PDFs do not pair these surfaces; the combination indicates a drop-and-execute chain regardless of the specific JS API knobs or /Launch target.
JavaScript action low 1 related finding PDF_JAVASCRIPT

PDF contains a /JavaScript action. Generic JavaScript is common in benign forms; specific dangerous APIs are scored by separate rules.
Embedded JS stream low PDF_JS

PDF references a /JS stream. Generic JavaScript is common in benign forms; specific dangerous APIs are scored by separate rules.
Embedded file low PDF_EMBEDDED

PDF embeds a file attachment — could carry an executable or another weaponised document as a nested payload
Embedded URL info EMBEDDED_URL

One or more URLs were extracted from the document. The URL itself is not a detection — see the per-URL labels for which channel (macro, JS, link annotation, document body, ...) reached each URL.
URL http://www.zeustech.net/ In extracted file (math.pdf)
- http://]hostname[:port]/pathIn extracted file (math.pdf)
- tcp://192.168.1.11:4445In extracted file (math.pdf)
- http://www.apache.org/In extracted file (math.pdf)
- http://www.ams.orgIn extracted file (font_00_type1_off000151f2.bin)
- http://scripts.sil.org/OFLIn extracted file (font_00_type1_off000151f2.bin)

🗂 Part of campaign: shared payload 03bd27f81b 3 samples

Extracted artifacts 8

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

Filename	Kind	Source	Size
`math.pdf`	pdf-embedded-file	PDF EmbeddedFile object 228 at offset 0x23C26	73802 bytes
SHA-256: `21f3ff735a2d2c504a88f2aa598f30d8dfaf1675d2069ac1bc927e332b8ed0d0`
Detection ClamAV: Win.Trojan.MSShellcode-7 Obfuscation or payload: likely actual_type=PE; declared_or_context_type=PDF; filename=math.pdf; kind=pdf-embedded-file Static shellcode analysis recovered the Metasploit stager connect-back address: 192.168.1.11:4445 (reverse/x86, lab (non-routable)) Static shellcode analysis found candidate code region(s). Indicators: SC_PEB_ACCESS, SC_MSF_REVERSE, SC_PUSH_STRING Static shellcode analysis recovered API/import strings: kernel32.dll, advapi32.dll, KERNEL32.DLL, ADVAPI32.DLL, LoadLibraryA, GetProcAddress
`javascript_obj0229_000.js`	pdf-javascript-stream	PDF /JS object 229 at offset 0x2E84E	53 bytes
SHA-256: `ff01c43fef6ce43e3f48a976e49ad5f9539195804ab42c870e34672c22983e44`
Preview script First 1,000 lines of the extracted script this.exportDataObject({ cName: "math", nLaunch: 0 });
`font_00_type1_off000151f2.bin`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x151F2	7276 bytes
SHA-256: `f72dbed8bb057acc6fa53d2029a4134cf085919d92c1b481a2f641095768b51e`
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.83, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_01_type1_off00016e05.bin`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x16E05	11194 bytes
SHA-256: `c85e70b5306a04589e567e7521fc4f74230d7dbf4d2780cb0c1f84879fdb6924`
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.90, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_02_type1_off00019925.bin`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x19925	11711 bytes
SHA-256: `4abecec04823017ced1d690f97988c135cf5eb84e563bb5eb0438ea183027ea2`
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.90, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_03_type1_off0001c622.bin`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x1C622	8958 bytes
SHA-256: `3932613c86c5d5910218cf60ea103f5c4755bfd1203da1af211fdb849f81ac38`
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.86, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_04_type1_off0001e8bd.bin`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x1E8BD	7832 bytes
SHA-256: `03bd27f81b3d08969581a26e18cef6f41af8cdf82302f88ccb51e791f77a7f52`
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.85, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_05_type1_off000206f9.bin`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x206F9	7629 bytes
SHA-256: `71560e402607a269a2a558903177519106dc8596e8ff1d3159ae79a8fd68c0d4`
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.84, consistent with packed or encrypted content.

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Malware Insights

Machine Learning

Heuristics 12

Related samples 8

Extracted artifacts 8