PDF malware analysis — malicious · b5b74cc34dca23ce

MALICIOUS

PDF

59.1 KB Created: 2009-08-30 00:20:17 UTC Authoring application: AdobePS5.dll Version 5.2.2 (via Mac OS X 10.5.8 Quartz PDFContext)

MD5: 94ac06f0383df71f8855d25b6dcef61a SHA-1: bc0b13ab13b5d30e069f91efbc9d266ca2fdd560 SHA-256: b5b74cc34dca23ce65acbc36eca1785d120a5ff0c31dae08e2415a85406c5906

484 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK

T1204.002 Malicious File T1059.003 Windows Command Shell T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer T1204.001 User Execution: Malicious Link T1027 Obfuscated Files or Information

The PDF contains embedded JavaScript and a launch action that targets cmd.exe, indicating an attempt to execute arbitrary commands. This action is chained with an embedded file, 'form.pdf', which is identified as a Windows executable payload. The ClamAV detection further confirms the malicious nature of the embedded payload. The overall attack pattern suggests a downloader or dropper mechanism.

Heuristics 11

Adobe Reader Launch action command execution critical CVE exact CVE_2010_1240

PDF uses the Adobe Reader/Acrobat Launch action pattern associated with CVE-2010-1240: cmd.exe is invoked with attacker-controlled parameters, paired with an embedded/exported payload.
Launch action critical PDF_LAUNCH

PDF contains a /Launch action whose target is an executable, URL, or UNC path — can start an external application
Embedded Windows executable payload in PDF stream critical PDF_EMBEDDED_PE_PAYLOAD

PDF stream bytes contain an embedded Windows executable with a verified PE header. Exploit chains often hide droppers inside ordinary streams rather than standard /EmbeddedFile attachments.
/Launch action target: cmd.exe critical PDF_LAUNCH_COMMAND

PDF /Launch action specifies an executable target with parameters '/Q /C %HOMEDRIVE%&cd %HOMEPATH%&(if exist "Desktop\\form.pdf" (cd "Desktop"' — references a known-dangerous executable (cmd, PowerShell, etc.).
Embedded attachment masquerades: declared document, content is windows-executable critical PDF_EMBEDDED_FILESPEC_CONTENT_MISMATCH

An /EmbeddedFile attachment's declared filename extension or /Subtype MIME type contradicts the magic bytes of its decompressed content. The attachment is declared as a benign document or image but the bytes are an executable or executable-bearing archive. This is a deliberate deception used to hide droppers in PDF attachments and is a generic indicator of embed-and-drop weaponisation, independent of any specific CVE.
ClamAV: Pdf.Tool.Agent-1388586 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION

ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Tool.Agent-1388586
ClamAV detection on extracted artifact critical EXTRACTED_FILE_CLAMAV

ClamAV flagged at least one file extracted from inside this sample. Even when the wrapping document carries no AV detection of its own, a hit on the carved artifact is a strong indicator the sample is a delivery vehicle.
/Launch action paired with attachment-dropping JS API high PDF_LAUNCH_PLUS_DROPPER_JS

PDF combines a /Launch action with a JavaScript API call that writes or opens an attached/external resource — the canonical shape of the CVE-2010-1240 /Launch + exportDataObject family. Benign PDFs do not pair these surfaces; the combination indicates a drop-and-execute chain regardless of the specific JS API knobs or /Launch target.
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

Extracted artifacts 3

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

Filename	Kind	Source	Size
`form.pdf` `73a49a4a44448cdd827ed9c980ba81619fc3821b16205bd2e1a0356bd000694b`	pdf-embedded-file	PDF EmbeddedFile object 21 at offset 0x3B9E	73802 bytes
Detection ClamAV: Win.Trojan.MSShellcode-6360728-0 Obfuscation or payload: unlikely
`javascript_obj0022_000.js` `eff4a0943aaff2d99cb5c8666337775c91d4d5f687782df94d2c5fc77becde7f`	pdf-javascript-stream	PDF /JS object 22 at offset 0xE8BB	53 bytes
`icc_00_off000002d6.icc` `2b3aa1645779a9e634744faf9b01e9102b0c9b88fd6deced7934df86b949af7e`	pdf-icc-profile	PDF ICC profile at offset 0x2D6	3144 bytes

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