Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 8d5ac03406d6e4be…

MALICIOUS

PDF

118.5 KB
MD5: d7c6fb22f92989e08372831f7c301cda SHA-1: 208dbe4e1189057ec17a9feb88558469c51e943f SHA-256: 8d5ac03406d6e4bee21da0f1321805902362dad41707e3a0878a55555d164328
556 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.001 PowerShell T1204.001 Malicious Link

This PDF file contains multiple critical heuristic firings indicating the presence of an Adobe Reader exploit kit. The embedded JavaScript uses functions like media.newPlayer, Collab.getIcon, Collab.collectEmailInfo, and util.printf, which are known to be leveraged in exploits targeting CVE-2009-4324, CVE-2009-0927, CVE-2007-5659, and CVE-2008-2992 respectively. The JavaScript is heavily obfuscated with comment-padded substitution-hex decoding, and ultimately aims to execute a second-stage payload. The ClamAV detection of 'Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36086' further confirms its malicious nature.

Machine Learning

  • Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 1.0000

Heuristics 13

  • media.newPlayer — CVE-2009-4324 critical CVE exact CVE_2009_4324
    PDF JavaScript calls media.newPlayer — CVE-2009-4324 is a use-after-free in Adobe Reader's multimedia plugin triggered by media.newPlayer(). Actively exploited as a zero-day in December 2009. (identified after JavaScript deobfuscation)
  • Collab.getIcon — CVE-2009-0927 critical CVE exact CVE_2009_0927
    PDF JavaScript calls Collab.getIcon — CVE-2009-0927 is a stack buffer overflow in Adobe Reader triggered by Collab.getIcon() with a crafted argument. Allows arbitrary code execution. (identified after JavaScript deobfuscation)
  • Collab.collectEmailInfo — CVE-2007-5659 critical CVE exact CVE_2007_5659
    PDF JavaScript calls Collab.collectEmailInfo — CVE-2007-5659 is a buffer overflow in Adobe Reader triggered by a long argument or heap-sprayed message field passed to Collab.collectEmailInfo(). Part of a series of Acrobat JS API exploits. (identified after JavaScript deobfuscation)
  • util.printf — CVE-2008-2992 critical CVE exact CVE_2008_2992
    PDF JavaScript calls util.printf() — CVE-2008-2992 is a stack buffer overflow in Adobe Reader triggered by a long format-specifier argument. Widely exploited in the wild after disclosure. (identified after JavaScript deobfuscation)
  • Multi-CVE Adobe Reader JavaScript exploit kit critical PDF_ADOBE_READER_MULTI_CVE_JS_KIT
    One recovered JavaScript stage contains multiple version-gated Adobe Reader exploit branches. This is stronger evidence than independent API keywords: the PDF is selecting old Reader vulnerabilities by viewer version and running heap-sprayed Acrobat JavaScript exploit paths.
  • ClamAV: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36086 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36086
  • ClamAV detection on extracted artifact critical EXTRACTED_FILE_CLAMAV
    ClamAV flagged at least one file extracted from inside this sample. Even when the wrapping document carries no AV detection of its own, a hit on the carved artifact is a strong indicator the sample is a delivery vehicle.
  • eval() call high PDF_EVAL
    eval() found — commonly used for obfuscated exploit execution (matched inside decoded stream)
  • Large comment-padded JavaScript eval stager high PDF_JS_LARGE_COMMENT_PADDED_EVAL
    PDF JavaScript contains a very large stream padded with long random-looking block comments around String.fromCharCode and eval. This is an exploit-kit obfuscation shape used to bury a decoder and recovered stage inside noise, not normal PDF form automation.
  • JavaScript action low 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.
  • String.fromCharCode low PDF_FROMCHARCODE
    String.fromCharCode found — used to construct payload strings dynamically. Common in benign JavaScript libraries for codepoint manipulation, so this alone is informational; weaponised use is also caught by the dedicated fromCharCode-stage and exploit-shape rules. (matched inside decoded stream)
  • Suspicious extracted artifact info 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.

Extracted artifacts 2

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
javascript_obj0006_000.js
6b982bf13bd89dd498b7888270c98ded3a8e507b3d4246b75d700e72f293258f
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 6 at offset 0x143 626683 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 2 eval/decoder/string-building token(s). Carved artifact contains 42 long base64-like blob(s).
legacy_pdfkit_stage_000.js
4c42fc04a30479500b0bd976264a48d3280643c4116ea8b1dfa52c23bd9092d1
deobfuscated-js comment-padded substitution-hex decoded JavaScript at offset 0x143 10413 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: Js.Exploit.Shellcode-18
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 12 eval/decoder/string-building token(s). Carved artifact contains 1 long base64-like blob(s).