Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 af8fc22882cda0fe…

MALICIOUS

PDF

8.1 KB
MD5: e2760ed8d38de5c5d87e46b294a7e75c SHA-1: dc91c7538c43ca5d768a1d9ccb60a369971b0473 SHA-256: af8fc22882cda0fe6c246f6d7f873f5cdbb4e72dab95f5df93483ac9c4c36606
136 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.001 PowerShell T1204.001 Malicious Link T1071.001 Web Protocols T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment T1566.002 Spearphishing Link

The PDF document contains obfuscated JavaScript, identified as a multi-stage dropper. This script leverages the CVE-2007-5659 vulnerability, specifically using the Collab.collectEmailInfo method to decode and execute a payload. The dropper's primary function appears to be downloading and executing additional malicious content from external sources, indicated by the presence of multiple deobfuscated JavaScript files and the dropper heuristic. The anti-analysis checks (repeated_pluginschk) suggest an attempt to evade detection.

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
ab3f4be7a3e2e879e844dcace56ca59cf8fe7249dc5a05c90896f0c9e7dd732a
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 5 at offset 0x148 559 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 2 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
legacy_pdfkit_stage_000.js
054b4578349a5ec03b7b2959f49388802752af043d1a386695eb0fb467b1c8cf
deobfuscated-js repeated-marker hex decoded JavaScript at offset 0x1AC9 1886 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
115d898ebf8a5442958b3276555e6e7f92c61c81fb5d151700490d60ff843904
deobfuscated-js annotation-subject callee-key decoded JavaScript at offset 0x374 4903 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 5 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
deobfuscated.js
4c394c941f0ffddf0da732ceb2c74a4bca5767801d4328a4f036c6004ef5545f
deobfuscated-js PDF JavaScript deobfuscation pass 41180 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).