PDF malware analysis — malicious · ef57c18122dd71b0

MALICIOUS

PDF

666.8 KB Created: 1999-12-26 15:37:45 Authoring application: TeX (via Aladdin Ghostscript 5.50)

MD5: e302faa0315b07d954d055bd3ce8b4ab SHA-1: 77b682dc24b2bde668f8db3f5090fa81fcc8472b SHA-256: ef57c18122dd71b095e928df93f2097ed6de31665f140d31f9d485ac6b5f657f

598 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK

T1204.002 Malicious File T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment T1059.003 Windows Command Shell T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer

The PDF file contains embedded JavaScript that triggers a launch action, specifically targeting cmd.exe. This action is designed to execute a Windows executable payload that is also embedded within the PDF, masquerading as 'c:R-intro.pdf'. The ClamAV detection of 'Pdf.Tool.Agent-1388586' and 'Win.Trojan.Swrort-5710536-0' on the extracted artifact further confirms its malicious nature. The embedded JavaScript and launch action indicate an attempt to download and execute a second-stage payload.

Machine Learning

Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 0.9874

Heuristics 16

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
Embedded Windows executable payload in PDF stream critical PDF_EMBEDDED_PE_PAYLOAD

PDF stream bytes contain an embedded Windows executable with a verified PE header. Exploit chains often hide droppers inside ordinary streams rather than standard /EmbeddedFile attachments.
/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\\c:\R-intro.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.
Remote GoTo action high PDF_GOTO_REMOTE

PDF references an external document via GoToR/GoToE whose target is a URL, UNC path, or executable
/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.
Clickable PDF combines external action with parser-evasion structure high PDF_ACTION_PARSER_EVASION

PDF has an external clickable URI together with object graph or xref structures that make parsers disagree, such as divergent duplicate objects, parser divergence, or xref offset mismatch. That combination is stronger than a plain link: the document is both an outward-action carrier and a parser-confusion/evasion sample.
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
External URI info PDF_URI

PDF contains an external URL action
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.
Embedded URL info EMBEDDED_URL

One or more URLs were extracted from the document. The URL itself is not a detection — see the per-URL labels for which channel (macro, JS, link annotation, document body, ...) reached each URL.
URL http://www.ggobi.org/
- http://www.ggobi.org/rggobi
- http://CRAN.R-project.org
- http://CRAN.R-project.org/
- http://www.bioconductor.org/
- http://ESS.R-project.org

Extracted artifacts 25

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

Filename	Kind	Source	Size
`cR-intro.pdf` `badb8f1df8752da73ad08a3248ba622afa17715c0ad847fee3b1185111372d54`	pdf-embedded-file	PDF EmbeddedFile object 1654 at offset 0x9D9D3	61440 bytes
Detection ClamAV: Win.Trojan.Swrort-5710536-0 Obfuscation or payload: unlikely
`javascript_obj1655_000.js` `be67042d4bdacba63b45ab2c10a6846eb2326d201f2c30f07234607a55f74534`	pdf-javascript-stream	PDF /JS object 1655 at offset 0xA66F4	58 bytes
`stream_114_off0006cb63.bin` `7e10555220c4ae44ee25adee594f24d484ec36b6b2350925b7c2c6c46b5e41bf`	decompressed-pdf-stream	PDF FlateDecoded stream at offset 0x6CB63	11342 bytes
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.90, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`stream_117_off00070c20.bin` `4b4852b147e285f80c5200a3bdeca9f1a3b32cd00b78a0d4fe338383ac05dc47`	decompressed-pdf-stream	PDF FlateDecoded stream at offset 0x70C20	2861 bytes
`stream_122_off0007ad8c.bin` `49ca8c086f008e85f50e2e51c9b55a8c2fe8c2026ac60bcf6a4acd3f7eb7ac31`	decompressed-pdf-stream	PDF FlateDecoded stream at offset 0x7AD8C	9733 bytes
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.89, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`stream_124_off0007daf4.bin` `2113bd6219ad3befb7a1c5dae703905d672d59dc521c4b7b0b1fb555263d1bf3`	decompressed-pdf-stream	PDF FlateDecoded stream at offset 0x7DAF4	8772 bytes
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.85, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_00_type1_off000675b0.bin` `3094825b5ce890f712e15e00639dcaaf89332e918ec2c752958143c70d2b9fe6`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x675B0	14517 bytes
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.88, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_01_type1_off0006ad62.bin` `c09210d295e4d4d9dbb74b093e020f865083332b7bb7338196f1ae5171bef3d4`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x6AD62	1931 bytes
`font_02_type1_off0006b56d.bin` `f1588eabbd670e98523666c1c3c04b712c1b3697d47a5408739062620b33659c`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x6B56D	3310 bytes
`font_03_type1_off0006c2a7.bin` `d5404eb74f2fe6b252ee95d36c847601169ade156df241fb1686b184793a1839`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x6C2A7	2095 bytes
`font_05_type1_off0006f751.bin` `7fa1975cfb5e221517c20cc8bc89f772ad59ad1fca5dc1ea37307406733dc851`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x6F751	1734 bytes
`font_06_type1_off0006fe93.bin` `fffc7ab8e0f0b59baa3cd48815c1c2a80d395dcb7a8d93956fd32b984aee31f2`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x6FE93	3376 bytes
`font_08_type1_off000717bb.bin` `7977613468e73be9e77eadb5274aae8acf86e86a96bc30f3273f9f6ce1fa86f1`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x717BB	18521 bytes
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.90, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_09_type1_off00075ede.bin` `569e3874942341e79b54a7e474d51613fa4326e4add76424de02a044bf6cacb0`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x75EDE	2834 bytes
`font_10_type1_off00076a5f.bin` `6b2c9c9662d638cdb4048836bf9410dff4586924e8b7a9cd8eb108304bc0665f`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x76A5F	2422 bytes
`font_11_type1_off00077445.bin` `9a5e2064f194560c4c269c9f6dae2d324c3782846c6996f7d4698cec6ee9ede8`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x77445	14936 bytes
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.88, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_13_type1_off0007d324.bin` `602421b087b572a35685d8095011114746a50db26496bda74ac882a4352e2291`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x7D324	1870 bytes
`font_15_type1_off0007fcd1.bin` `3eaf0a1541e53aa5c72e7729e97c4ea043a8a73637a71bf26258920531129d32`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x7FCD1	2888 bytes
`font_16_type1_off00080894.bin` `d38696a0c92f5b1912369ebdf18bbc57461ca270be511ab5ecdd70955506e665`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x80894	1436 bytes
`font_17_type1_off00080ea5.bin` `72f9ff2c72f16f3bf48d4016a4532a5602bbb802237a5900bd736de7cdf31b69`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x80EA5	12940 bytes
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.90, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_18_type1_off00084096.bin` `0313912b21cab1b37ba37b64fcdfad1b66e0e6dd1fe54e69acd2b5b7bd57234a`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x84096	4650 bytes
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.77, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_19_type1_off000852ec.bin` `a64e5393bcc817dc708d2b5578eb03334a55afc91a1d9eec90e02622b4356ee8`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x852EC	17425 bytes
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.89, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_20_type1_off000895d8.bin` `e989a770203bd1bf3cac6acc62989a688c50f6ce1cc068cc6a50c3289ebc6a36`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x895D8	6182 bytes
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.80, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_21_type1_off0008adf3.bin` `23b64e9facef1af0e00bded7422448d105af2b6909a3407f5428ad711e076e45`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x8ADF3	11016 bytes
Detection ClamAV: No threats found Obfuscation or payload: likely Carved artifact entropy is 7.85, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
`font_22_type1_off0008d86b.bin` `fad4e5fb60378fe8e8592ab9e4033f5d44c062aa2dbbd1047c568389f5fed1c6`	pdf-font-stream	PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x8D86B	2037 bytes

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