Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 a21d5893ce8409f5…

MALICIOUS

PDF

3.0 KB Created: 2005-09-29 09:27:34 UTC Authoring application: Acrobat Distiller 8.1.0 (Windows)
MD5: 0f5b3e09378faafa423e3952192c67a8 SHA-1: 9069f81a179d4ff4441b3d40cfee1b41665a08f6 SHA-256: a21d5893ce8409f5c7b6da71fadba2e0b3e42ac5451ab49673d5e3f801acaa5d
162 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1204 Malicious Link T1204.002 Malicious File T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter

The PDF file contains embedded JavaScript and an embedded file, triggering heuristics for JavaScript actions and embedded files. Crucially, it exploits CVE-2010-0188, a vulnerability in Adobe Reader related to XFA forms and TIFF images, indicating a malicious intent to execute code. The ClamAV detection further confirms its malicious nature. The embedded file 'embedded_file_obj0004.bin' is likely a secondary payload.

Heuristics 8

  • Adobe Reader LibTIFF XFA image exploit — CVE-2010-0188 critical CVE likely CVE_2010_0188
    PDF contains XFA image data with an inline crafted TIFF payload and shellcode/delivery markers. This is the data-bound variant of the CVE-2010-0188 Adobe Reader LibTIFF/XFA exploit shape.
  • ClamAV: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36015 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-36015
  • 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
  • XFA form low PDF_XFA
    PDF uses XML Forms Architecture — can contain script logic
  • AcroForm button with action trigger low PDF_ACROFORM_BUTTON
    PDF contains a /Btn form field together with a SubmitForm/URI/Launch/JS trigger — this is the building block of fake 'Download' or 'Open' button overlays used in PDF phishing lures
  • 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 1

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
embedded_file_obj0004.bin
4648a05b1fdc1d7782e44a62d0a993abb2faadfc4a67a56ad3513a482ef19c26
pdf-embedded-file PDF EmbeddedFile object 4 at offset 0x1D5 12826 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 1 long base64-like blob(s).