Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 a2798de058f6ec24…

MALICIOUS

PDF

8.1 KB
MD5: c0936340429bc88de688bcd417c6690c SHA-1: 1e5bb3fa85fd999cb45925b627bd0940c2cacbf3 SHA-256: a2798de058f6ec248a8558d0b26e412d0639461ae4b66aca53f85b04b8bdf32d
134 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.001 PowerShell T1204.001 Malicious Link T1071.001 Web Protocols

The PDF file contains obfuscated JavaScript, indicated by multiple heuristic firings including 'PDF_JAVASCRIPT', 'PDF_JS_OBFUSCATED_DROPPER', and 'CVE_2007_5659'. The primary exploit targets CVE-2007-5659, leveraging the 'Collab.collectEmailInfo' method to execute a decoded JavaScript payload. This script is designed as a multi-stage dropper, likely to download and execute further malicious content. The presence of anti-analysis checks within the script further supports its malicious intent.

Heuristics 7

  • 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)
  • Obfuscated multi-stage PDF JavaScript dropper high PDF_JS_OBFUSCATED_DROPPER
    PDF JavaScript shows 3 independent signals of exploit-kit-style multi-stage obfuscation: annot_subject_stage, hex_dashed_payload, 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
9d5c7e01faed5b04e9ec11f1d98b73f0012c871beaf60e9f9d32ad6df00d46f7
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 5 at offset 0x148 550 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 1 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
legacy_pdfkit_stage_000.js
907c7fc0c861f1ab21c4cf2116fb9fdd9e8a37d9f341010014084fa2eca54127
deobfuscated-js repeated-marker hex decoded JavaScript at offset 0x1B6A 1720 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
26f48659b135f800cd03065b459ed8e167573a9158b2daf763c6eef81d70839c
deobfuscated-js annotation-subject callee-key decoded JavaScript at offset 0x359 5048 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 5 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
deobfuscated.js
af8f246de3fcaccb9cb6fed6c59ef7d76ee903c293d5cc37222db8af03659c63
deobfuscated-js PDF JavaScript deobfuscation pass 19255 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 2 eval/decoder/string-building token(s). Carved artifact contains 1 long base64-like blob(s).