Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 a45ae4fa69246e4a…

MALICIOUS

PDF

9.5 KB
MD5: a5e1c9217a9b0bb9e401f88bc0662614 SHA-1: ba8c661e3c11b8ea611bc528f350d11e963c9058 SHA-256: a45ae4fa69246e4aa9af0db97401ec3ee83ba1c412f37f574bc9fac38acfa75b
266 Risk Score

Malware Insights

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

The PDF file contains embedded JavaScript that leverages the CVE-2007-5659 vulnerability, specifically using the Collab.collectEmailInfo method. The JavaScript is heavily obfuscated, employing eval() and unescape() functions, and appears to be a stager designed to download and execute a further payload. The presence of multiple deobfuscated JavaScript files indicates a complex execution chain. The ClamAV detection 'Pdf.Exploit.Agent-35912' further confirms its malicious nature.

Heuristics 9

  • 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-35912 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-35912
  • eval() call high PDF_EVAL
    eval() found — commonly used for obfuscated exploit execution (matched inside decoded stream)
  • unescape() call high PDF_UNESCAPE
    unescape() found — often used to decode shellcode in PDF JS exploits (matched inside decoded stream)
  • Annotation subject callee-key hex JavaScript stager high PDF_ANNOT_SUBJECT_CALLEE_HEX_STAGER
    PDF JavaScript uses syncAnnotScan()/getAnnots() to read an indirect annotation /Subject stream, percent-decodes it through marker replacement, then uses a callee.toString()-derived key to decode and eval the final exploit stage.
  • 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.
  • 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_obj0007_000.js
7218a1c68060953321573daa035b16f5f32928ce25a9eb656690dbe78cd9464e
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 7 at offset 0x19B 201 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 2 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
annotation_subject_callee_hex_stage_000.js
a5e1d45192403d2f842780fc9dc0b0884685de75cedf4e911294b825f7669fb1
deobfuscated-js annotation-subject callee-key decoded JavaScript at offset 0x14A 5166 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 5 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
legacy_pdfkit_stage_001.js
23683eada8dd20b9b8c87d195e7c88a852dfd0bdf67bf34597a5c6cd8cde9782
deobfuscated-js repeated-marker hex decoded JavaScript at offset 0x2B5 12234 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).
deobfuscated.js
37284c58f1a3b84b36c44186edd2bf908dd14938bac542553106fe34a238de1c
deobfuscated-js PDF JavaScript deobfuscation pass 44769 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 4 eval/decoder/string-building token(s). Carved artifact contains 1 long base64-like blob(s).