Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 bba40d61210bf52f…

MALICIOUS

PDF

3.5 KB Created: 2008-31-20 53:85:00 Authoring application: Scribus 1.3.3.12 (via Scribus PDF Library 1.3.3.12)
MD5: 7f8f61d68381511bbc62ab5dc2a710fc SHA-1: acc34e6ced01616cb8b118bb302f9cf10e81f228 SHA-256: bba40d61210bf52f0ee2775942f61cd5db8fc5bb31e77db4d4f1cc7dc03e3a3a
166 Risk Score

Malware Insights

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

The PDF file contains embedded JavaScript triggered by the OpenAction, which is a known method for exploiting PDF vulnerabilities. The critical heuristic firing for CVE-2007-5659 indicates the use of a specific exploit technique involving JavaScript eval() and fromCharCode. The embedded JavaScript streams, particularly 'numeric_charcode_stage_000.js', are heavily obfuscated but suggest the execution of malicious code. The primary intent appears to be the exploitation of a PDF reader vulnerability to download and execute a secondary payload.

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)
  • OpenAction trigger high PDF_OPENACTION
    PDF has an /OpenAction — code runs automatically when opened
  • eval() call high PDF_EVAL
    eval() found — commonly used for obfuscated exploit execution (matched inside decoded stream)
  • 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)
  • 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 2

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
javascript_obj0013_001.js
6d24e0abbf8a341e9195e84132c842cc33afb6f39af2f5b255b3fc4ae8741916
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 13 at offset 0x3D7 13315 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 3 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
numeric_charcode_stage_000.js
86bdf5b4870e69f1ffb200f7a2edcd5a7e531d3177445d02958ead6e571d7f20
deobfuscated-js numeric char-code string decoded JavaScript at offset 0x445 3972 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 5 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).