Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 acadd3e9b43f4498…

MALICIOUS

PDF

6.9 KB
MD5: 0899e29f797a560dfb0d415cedbc815a SHA-1: abb812f776816596d72b8d644d6d7254a51619cf SHA-256: acadd3e9b43f4498fc4708a54dc158879d07c58f4c709a1df17f3f1f124e8d5a
94 Risk Score

Malware Insights

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

The PDF file contains embedded JavaScript that exploits CVE-2014-0496 using app.addToolButton/removeToolButton. The JavaScript is obfuscated and appears to decode a base-26 encoded string which is then likely executed. This indicates the document's purpose is to download and execute a second-stage payload, making the attack pattern a malicious document exploit. The specific family could not be determined due to the obfuscation.

Heuristics 7

  • app.addToolButton/removeToolButton — CVE-2014-0496 critical CVE exact CVE_2014_0496
    PDF JavaScript combines app.addToolButton() and app.removeToolButton() with heap-spray shellcode markers — the public Adobe Reader/Acrobat ToolButton use-after-free exploit shape for CVE-2014-0496. (identified after JavaScript deobfuscation)
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 http://ns.adobe.com/xdp/
    • http://www.xfa.org/schema/xci/2.8/
    • http://www.xfa.org/schema/xfa-template/2.5/

Extracted artifacts 2

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
javascript_obj0003_000.js
4344cc5cc7a3a65cbc9add17d8f9f2514ee8abad0014de841566f9fde212463a
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 3 at offset 0x409 15830 bytes
base26_stage_000.js
b80c0b6919d7ab5be90ecd2f9250455488fb60ce8654577183514f732061d2a5
deobfuscated-js base26-decoded JavaScript (decompressed) at offset 0x60D 6033 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 44 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).