Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 9dcd76224111c98d…

MALICIOUS

PDF

47.0 KB Created: 2020-08-05 03:33:09 +03:00 Authoring application: wkhtmltopdf 0.12.5 (via Qt 4.8.7) First seen: 2026-05-08
MD5: 8e15788de6e4435fe589278c41326229 SHA-1: 11c1b35114f846e027fb2a1aab0b25413bb7a10d SHA-256: 9dcd76224111c98d925992e38107f83c1c96cd0b31664d29a3039b9504666911
294 Risk Score

Malware Insights

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

The PDF contains an embedded script payload and links to a known malicious redirector. The script is likely responsible for initiating the redirection to the malicious URL, which is designed to lure the user into a phishing or malware download. The presence of 'automating administration with windows powershell pdf' in the URL suggests a potential pretext for the attack.

Machine Learning

  • Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 1.0000

Heuristics 8

  • PDF links to known malicious redirector infrastructure critical PDF_MALICIOUS_REDIRECTOR_LINK
    PDF contains a clickable URI to redirector infrastructure used by a known malicious PDF SEO/adware delivery campaign. These documents typically rely on user interaction and redirect chains rather than a PDF parser vulnerability.
  • Small PDF contains mass external PDF link farm critical PDF_SEO_LINK_FARM
    Small PDF contains many clickable external PDF links, mostly clustered on one host. This matches generated SEO/link-farm PDF carriers used to route users into malicious or unwanted-software delivery chains, rather than a normal document citation pattern.
  • Embedded script payload in PDF stream high PDF_EMBEDDED_SCRIPT_PAYLOAD
    PDF stream bytes contain script execution markers such as ActiveXObject/CreateObject, WScript.Shell, PowerShell, or shell-exec primitives. This is stronger than ordinary PDF JavaScript because it indicates a staged external script payload hidden in stream bytes.
  • Image lure linking to an SEO redirector (free-download phishing) high PDF_SEO_UTM_REDIRECTOR_LINK
    PDF embeds an image with little or no body text and a clickable link to a multi-word utm_term / FeedBurner-proxied SEO redirector — the 'free ebook / solution-manual / document download' phishing family that ranks for natural-language search queries and routes the user into a payload/redirect chain. The PDF carries no exploit; the risk is the linked destination. Flagged structurally (image lure + SEO redirector) so it does not depend on a ClamAV/ML signature, and regardless of how many filler text pages the lure carries.
  • 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.
  • Suspicious extracted artifact medium 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.
  • Object number defined twice with different bodies info PDF_DUPLICATE_OBJ_BODY_INCREMENTAL
    The same indirect object (N G) is defined more than once with different body bytes. First-wins and last-wins readers will resolve different content, which is a parser-confusion shape used by targeted PDFs. Body-only differences are common in benign incremental updates, so severity is raised only when the duplicate carries active content.
  • 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 https://ttraff.com/pify?keyword=10961c+automating+administration+with+windows+powershell+pdf In PDF document text
    • http://files.monarchgard.com/uploads/1/3/2/8/132814942/4318787.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://files.windowsofatlanta.com/uploads/1/3/1/4/131407655/62846ed44b43afa.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://files.organhaus.com/uploads/1/3/1/8/131871734/rowevozetim-nasasox-fanimivo.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://files.daytonheartfulness.org/uploads/1/3/1/4/131411539/e5fb279c0f5735.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://files.bikesandbuns.us/uploads/1/3/1/8/131856270/nezexi.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://www.ascendercorp.com/In PDF document text
    • http://www.ascendercorp.com/typedesigners.htmlIn PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0433/9400/7201/files/the_believer_s_authority_study_guide.pdfIn PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0433/0687/7080/files/61053474184.pdfIn macro / runtime command snippet
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0434/8067/8553/files/9508847262.pdfIn PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0430/6976/7842/files/setajojekakal.pdfIn PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0434/6567/0806/files/lopugapevatiwesajapego.pdfIn PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0430/8058/1274/files/8681393927.pdfIn PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0430/5901/9927/files/alt_code_star.pdfIn PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0434/5410/3713/files/mamet.pdfIn PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0431/7272/4900/files/heat_index_formula.pdfIn PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0432/4379/8683/files/bosch_automotive_handbook_free.pdfIn PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0433/0687/7080/files/70998441087.pdfIn PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0436/7322/3321/files/52460214544.pdfIn PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0433/5229/3541/files/25183895972.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#In PDF document text
    • http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/In PDF document text
    • http://ns.adobe.com/pdf/1.3/In PDF document text
    • http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/In PDF document text
    • http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/mm/In PDF document text
    • http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/rights/In PDF document text
    • https://cdn.shopify.com/s/fileIn macro / runtime command snippet
    • http://scripts.sil.org/OFLIn PDF document text

Related samples 8

Ranked by shared artifacts, heuristics, extracted URLs, CVEs, and signatures.

Full JSON: related samples API

Extracted artifacts 3

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
embedded_pdf_script_0000b672.bin pdf-embedded-script PDF raw stream script payload at offset 0xB672 1675 bytes
SHA-256: 36f628ce1f477f3e39f54923dc2e4074a72411aa7eac633b5f83aa5e230fadca
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 5 shell/COM execution token(s).
Preview script
First 1,000 lines of the extracted script
<?xpacket begin='' id='W5M0MpCehiHzreSzNTczkc9d'?>
<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x='adobe:ns:meta/' x:xmptk='pstoedit'>
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf='http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#'>

 <rdf:Description rdf:about=''
  xmlns:dc='http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/'
  dc:format='application/pdf'>
  <dc:creator>
   <rdf:Seq>
    <rdf:li>Tudeti Kufeba</rdf:li>
   </rdf:Seq>
  </dc:creator>
  <dc:description>
   <rdf:Alt>
    <rdf:li xml:lang='x-default'>10961c automating administration with windows powershell pdf. MOC On Demand Packaged Set 10961C: Automation Administration with Windows PowerShell® (90 Days)MOC O</rdf:li>
   </rdf:Alt>
  </dc:description>
  <dc:subject>
   <rdf:Bag>
    <rdf:li>10961c automating administration with windows powershell pdf. MOC On Demand Packaged Set 10961C: Automation Administration with Windows PowerShell® (90 Days)MOC O</rdf:li>
   </rdf:Bag>
  </dc:subject>
  <dc:title>
   <rdf:Alt>
    <rdf:li xml:lang='x-default'>10961c automating administration with windows powershell pdf</rdf:li>
   </rdf:Alt>
  </dc:title>
 </rdf:Description>

 <rdf:Description rdf:about=''
  xmlns:pdf='http://ns.adobe.com/pdf/1.3/'
  pdf:Producer='pstoedit'/>

 <rdf:Description rdf:about=''
  xmlns:xmp='http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/'
  xmp:CreateDate='2020-04-26T12:54:46'
  xmp:CreatorTool='pstoedit'/>

 <rdf:Description rdf:about=''
  xmlns:xmpMM='http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/mm/'
  xmpMM:DocumentID='e637b302-31f4-4bbb-8488-58f31a10db5c'
  xmpMM:InstanceID='53bc90a7-cd4d-4122-abfe-e78f8e9183d3'/>

 <rdf:Description rdf:about=''
  xmlns:xmpRights='http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/rights/'
  xmpRights:Marked='True'/>
</rdf:RDF>
</x:xmpmeta>
<?xpacket end='w'?>
font_00_sfnt_off00007458.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (sfnt) at offset 0x7458 6068 bytes
SHA-256: d76e33496c70ed0159cfa03baa05128f9cd08ed11f1db71e5e434cf32946f6fc
font_01_sfnt_off000088e5.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (sfnt) at offset 0x88E5 10456 bytes
SHA-256: c8ee749aa54c79d93a13013077f61c71d1f15a35098d40116ff8b8dfb3f34986

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