Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 9e3f837042e63bd5…

MALICIOUS

PDF

163.9 KB Created: 2010-04-22 22:20:20 Authoring application: Microsoft® Office PowerPoint® 2007
MD5: af3a2f7ece6bbc714f243aa8d26a110f SHA-1: 4180aa4746e54fff4a0dc7ec4ca7eeef93d75a80 SHA-256: 9e3f837042e63bd5ddfc0ac9360efb54efb30c01c21a92f99ec5e94681d40263
444 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.001 PowerShell T1204.002 Malicious File T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment

This PDF file exploits CVE-2010-1240 by using a launch action to execute cmd.exe. The command attempts to run an embedded Windows executable payload, disguised as 'atualiza.pdf'. The PDF also contains JavaScript that facilitates the dropping of this executable. The combination of these factors strongly indicates a malicious intent to deliver and execute a secondary payload.

Heuristics 11

  • Adobe Reader Launch action command execution critical CVE exact CVE_2010_1240
    PDF uses the Adobe Reader/Acrobat Launch action pattern associated with CVE-2010-1240: cmd.exe is invoked with attacker-controlled parameters, paired with an embedded/exported payload.
  • Launch action critical PDF_LAUNCH
    PDF contains a /Launch action whose target is an executable, URL, or UNC path — can start an external application
  • Embedded Windows executable payload in PDF stream critical PDF_EMBEDDED_PE_PAYLOAD
    PDF stream bytes contain an embedded Windows executable with a verified PE header. Exploit chains often hide droppers inside ordinary streams rather than standard /EmbeddedFile attachments.
  • /Launch action target: cmd.exe critical PDF_LAUNCH_COMMAND
    PDF /Launch action specifies an executable target with parameters '/Q /C %HOMEDRIVE%&cd %HOMEPATH%&(if exist "Desktop\\atualiza.pdf" (cd "Desktop"' — references a known-dangerous executable (cmd, PowerShell, etc.).
  • Embedded attachment masquerades: declared document, content is windows-executable critical PDF_EMBEDDED_FILESPEC_CONTENT_MISMATCH
    An /EmbeddedFile attachment's declared filename extension or /Subtype MIME type contradicts the magic bytes of its decompressed content. The attachment is declared as a benign document or image but the bytes are an executable or executable-bearing archive. This is a deliberate deception used to hide droppers in PDF attachments and is a generic indicator of embed-and-drop weaponisation, independent of any specific CVE.
  • ClamAV: Pdf.Tool.Agent-1388586 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Tool.Agent-1388586
  • /Launch action paired with attachment-dropping JS API high PDF_LAUNCH_PLUS_DROPPER_JS
    PDF combines a /Launch action with a JavaScript API call that writes or opens an attached/external resource — the canonical shape of the CVE-2010-1240 /Launch + exportDataObject family. Benign PDFs do not pair these surfaces; the combination indicates a drop-and-execute chain regardless of the specific JS API knobs or /Launch target.
  • Image-only document with action trigger (screenshot lure) medium PDF_IMAGE_LURE
    PDF has 2 image(s), only 0 text block(s), carries a click-outward action, and is only 163 KB — typical shape of a phishing lure where a full-page screenshot hides a clickable button that launches or submits to an attacker URL.
  • 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.
  • Embedded file low PDF_EMBEDDED
    PDF embeds a file attachment — could carry an executable or another weaponised document as a nested payload

Extracted artifacts 2

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
atualiza.pdf
3ef20c23010775b898c4d1b8a8e55cee5f9b566bf4df88c0887332d40ffb8c3b
pdf-embedded-file PDF EmbeddedFile object 37 at offset 0x23D83 37888 bytes
javascript_obj0038_000.js
f743d3ee514cf25f997150c224e55e572317dab97411bf413753ed0a6510169d
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 38 at offset 0x28A47 57 bytes