Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 ba9a850bb34326a5…

MALICIOUS

PDF

419.8 KB Created: 2010-04-21 16:36:48 Authoring application: Scribus 1.3.6 (via Scribus PDF Library 1.3.6)
MD5: e8cb687e2ca5b6c9c04d7006efaa7488 SHA-1: 769441e8466d7bc698e97f96de3936a3734c9336 SHA-256: ba9a850bb34326a582b67a6981c9c51037fc05bdf279215bd15937d7768347ca
514 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1204.002 Malicious File T1059.003 Windows Command Shell T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer

The PDF file contains embedded JavaScript and a launch action that exploits CVE-2010-1240 to execute cmd.exe. This command is used to execute an embedded Windows executable payload, disguised as 'plaquette_adelux.pdf'. The embedded executable was detected by ClamAV as 'Win.Trojan.Rozena-131'. The primary attack pattern involves tricking the user into opening a malicious PDF that then drops and executes a secondary payload.

Machine Learning

  • Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 0.9995

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\\plaquette_adelux.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.

FilenameKindSourceSize
plaquette_adelux.pdf
9cbd1c481625a9954cd4a48612c545456575901a7d8e823942d2824c9e8a1af8		 pdf-embedded-file PDF EmbeddedFile object 187 at offset 0x63D1A 37888 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: Win.Trojan.Rozena-131
Obfuscation or payload: unlikely
javascript_obj0188_000.js
a2fc18178b351d4e0fe032ac5a3954169fcf3c514035151eaec20961363159d0		 pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 188 at offset 0x68A2B 65 bytes
font_00_sfnt_off00004aa7.bin
2f371cd9d96b3ac544519d85c16dc43ceacdfcea35090ee8ddf3ec5857c50328		 pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (sfnt) at offset 0x4AA7 224692 bytes

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