Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 c78a34133c881670…

MALICIOUS

PDF

9.3 KB
MD5: a0f30635eb2f4a073e2267a441a4c60d SHA-1: 8e199c8d5dc8e44b745e3eaa56b8a7d425c9ebf6 SHA-256: c78a34133c881670851a9190646439ddfc6a0b8e93e2e662320434fa80237e60
266 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.001 PowerShell T1204.001 Malicious Link T1027 Obfuscated Files or Information T1140 Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information

The PDF file contains embedded JavaScript that is heavily obfuscated using eval() and unescape() functions. Critical heuristics indicate the exploitation of CVE-2007-5659 through the `collab.collectEmailInfo` method within an annotation subject. This JavaScript acts as a stager, decoding and executing further malicious code, likely to download and run a second-stage payload. The presence of multiple deobfuscated JavaScript files further supports this analysis.

Heuristics 9

  • 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)
  • ClamAV: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-35912 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-35912
  • eval() call high PDF_EVAL
    eval() found — commonly used for obfuscated exploit execution (matched inside decoded stream)
  • unescape() call high PDF_UNESCAPE
    unescape() found — often used to decode shellcode in PDF JS exploits (matched inside decoded stream)
  • Annotation subject callee-key hex JavaScript stager high PDF_ANNOT_SUBJECT_CALLEE_HEX_STAGER
    PDF JavaScript uses syncAnnotScan()/getAnnots() to read an indirect annotation /Subject stream, percent-decodes it through marker replacement, then uses a callee.toString()-derived key to decode and eval the final exploit stage.
  • 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.
  • 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_obj0007_000.js
7218a1c68060953321573daa035b16f5f32928ce25a9eb656690dbe78cd9464e
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 7 at offset 0x19B 201 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 2 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
annotation_subject_callee_hex_stage_000.js
824443ef6c8096e2f7d6eef6c76f3f6fdb943766932fdb7e291c88187d3caa54
deobfuscated-js annotation-subject callee-key decoded JavaScript at offset 0x14A 5070 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 5 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
legacy_pdfkit_stage_001.js
cad95ecf35db0e27ff59e5fe787236c6244b3ec465993a490cd13ac0a48c09c4
deobfuscated-js repeated-marker hex decoded JavaScript at offset 0x2B5 11878 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 2 eval/decoder/string-building token(s). Carved artifact contains 1 long base64-like blob(s).
deobfuscated.js
3a8bb3a5984faed7f8aef1d73c6b3d26e88829c2f58f5f1e4bb1558db046a76a
deobfuscated-js PDF JavaScript deobfuscation pass 42412 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).