Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 9720dcf49150d302…

MALICIOUS

PDF

8.0 KB
MD5: d9f227fad3309e5656cd5563be179e1d SHA-1: a97a3bde7e3d0da22e6caccaae21b64201d49d91 SHA-256: 9720dcf49150d302ca75e059c8527dded5f285d57aebfa8cde6984b8ca4dd7fd
194 Risk Score

Malware Insights

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

The PDF document contains obfuscated JavaScript, identified by the PDF_JS_OBFUSCATED_DROPPER heuristic. This script leverages CVE-2007-5659, specifically using the Collab.collectEmailInfo method to decode and execute a multi-stage payload. The script's intent is to download and execute further stages, typical of a downloader or initial access mechanism. The presence of multiple deobfuscated JavaScript files indicates a complex, multi-stage infection chain.

Heuristics 8

  • 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)
  • ClamAV: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-35916 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-35916
  • Obfuscated multi-stage PDF JavaScript dropper high PDF_JS_OBFUSCATED_DROPPER
    PDF JavaScript shows 5 independent signals of exploit-kit-style multi-stage obfuscation: annot_subject_stage, hex_codec_loop, hex_dashed_payload, incremental_eval_build, repeated_pluginschk. This is strongly consistent with pre-2011 Adobe Reader PDF droppers — OpenAction JS reads encoded data from annotation subjects, decodes it through one or more hex / base-N loops, and invokes eval indirectly (method name built one character at a time). The actual CVE is hidden in the final decoded layer and is not visible via static analysis.
  • 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)
  • syncAnnotScan annotation-staging primitive low PDF_FOXIT_SYNCANNOTSCAN
    PDF JavaScript calls syncAnnotScan() — a no-op annotation-enumeration primitive used by exploit-kit JavaScript to stage payload reads from annotation /Subject fields before eval(). Not a vulnerable sink itself; rarely seen in legitimate PDFs. (matched in decompressed 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 4

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
javascript_obj0005_000.js
6c41320119e160dc719997b9a2efb3600ea9d7e9d7e44b4dc2125762dc9f365f
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 5 at offset 0x148 505 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 2 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
legacy_pdfkit_stage_000.js
68c3cf9e41548807f0053a5caddbdac61cd987e1d41e5d676ddabd3490b19d82
deobfuscated-js repeated-marker hex decoded JavaScript at offset 0x1A98 1779 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 1 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
legacy_pdfkit_stage_001.js
a0d902e97373119db7e547e358f7afecf85de06e08cc4c46b1ecf3893b9f4014
deobfuscated-js annotation-subject callee-key decoded JavaScript at offset 0x352 4891 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 4 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
deobfuscated.js
223175f20c59c91b8de8ef753b0c15569c7e675330a458fcfe9bc27a4e3cccd1
deobfuscated-js PDF JavaScript deobfuscation pass 25717 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 7 eval/decoder/string-building token(s). Carved artifact contains 1 long base64-like blob(s).