Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 c8d2f33e61192ef5…

MALICIOUS

PDF

635.9 KB Created: 2001-04-17 14:34:12 Authoring application: hacker.doc - Microsoft Word (via Acrobat PDFWriter 4.05 für Windows NT)
MD5: 6c7e37a3f9605cd18be7998543da5d92 SHA-1: 8ec3bea7f4e92334fb881c2110d9c89ff8793464 SHA-256: c8d2f33e61192ef593857b21808fb00952c52616cc6cc24af85b6b73c54f14c2
444 Risk Score

Malware Insights

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

The PDF file contains JavaScript that triggers a launch action, executing cmd.exe. This command is designed to download and execute a second-stage payload, which was identified as a Windows executable by ClamAV. The embedded artifact is named '23551410-Hacking-Into-Computer-Systems-Beginners.pdf' but its content is a Windows executable, indicating a clear attempt to disguise malicious content.

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
  • /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\\23551410-Hacking-Into-Computer-Systems-Beginners.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.
  • Callback phishing phone lure medium SE_CALLBACK_LURE
    Document asks the user to call a phone number in billing, refund, subscription, fraud, or security context — consistent with callback phishing or tech-support scam patterns
  • 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 2

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
23551410-Hacking-Into-Computer-Systems-Beginners.pdf
afaff654cf3171a3b7b69c481d472fe23a32eb8deadd838661a91ae1e9860263
pdf-embedded-file PDF EmbeddedFile object 747 at offset 0x99E57 37888 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: Win.Trojan.Rozena-131
Obfuscation or payload: unlikely
javascript_obj0748_000.js
97d0821a31652f303e3af4fb9560a6f84b4263fd91eecdc7f37def68dbd68405
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 748 at offset 0x9EA8F 97 bytes