Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 ef57c18122dd71b0…

MALICIOUS

PDF

666.8 KB Created: 1999-12-26 15:37:45 Authoring application: TeX (via Aladdin Ghostscript 5.50) First seen: 2026-05-11
MD5: e302faa0315b07d954d055bd3ce8b4ab SHA-1: 77b682dc24b2bde668f8db3f5090fa81fcc8472b SHA-256: ef57c18122dd71b095e928df93f2097ed6de31665f140d31f9d485ac6b5f657f
620 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.
  • ClamAV: Pdf.Tool.Agent-1388586 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Tool.Agent-1388586
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Suspicious extracted artifact medium 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.
  • JavaScript action low 1 related finding 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
  • Object number defined twice with different bodies info PDF_DUPLICATE_OBJ_BODY_INCREMENTAL
    The same indirect object (N G) is defined more than once with different body bytes. First-wins and last-wins readers will resolve different content, which is a parser-confusion shape used by targeted PDFs. Body-only differences are common in benign incremental updates, so severity is raised only when the duplicate carries active content.
  • 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/ In PDF document text
    • http://www.ggobi.org/rggobiIn PDF document text
    • http://www.befast.be/xampp/.sys/server.exe�x�@In extracted file (cR-intro.pdf)
    • http://CRAN.R-project.orgReferenced by PDF JavaScript
    • http://CRAN.R-project.org/In PDF document text
    • http://www.bioconductor.org/In PDF document text
    • http://ESS.R-project.orgIn PDF document text
🗂 Part of campaign: ggobi.org 10 samples

Extracted artifacts 26

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
cR-intro.pdf pdf-embedded-file PDF EmbeddedFile object 1654 at offset 0x9D9D3 61440 bytes
SHA-256: badb8f1df8752da73ad08a3248ba622afa17715c0ad847fee3b1185111372d54
Detection
ClamAV: Win.Trojan.Swrort-5710536-0
Obfuscation or payload: likely
actual_type=PE; declared_or_context_type=PDF; filename=cR-intro.pdf; kind=pdf-embedded-file Static shellcode analysis found candidate code region(s). Indicators: SC_PEB_ACCESS, SC_STR_GETPROCADDRESS, SC_STR_CREATEPROCESS Static shellcode analysis recovered API/import strings: LoadLibraryA, GetProcAddress, CreateFileA, kernel32.dll, KERNEL32.DLL, CreateProcessA
javascript_obj1655_000.js pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 1655 at offset 0xA66F4 58 bytes
SHA-256: be67042d4bdacba63b45ab2c10a6846eb2326d201f2c30f07234607a55f74534
Preview script
First 1,000 lines of the extracted script
this.exportDataObject({ cName: "c:R-intro", nLaunch: 0 });
stream_114_off0006cb63.bin decompressed-pdf-stream PDF FlateDecoded stream at offset 0x6CB63 11342 bytes
SHA-256: 7e10555220c4ae44ee25adee594f24d484ec36b6b2350925b7c2c6c46b5e41bf
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 decompressed-pdf-stream PDF FlateDecoded stream at offset 0x70C20 2861 bytes
SHA-256: 4b4852b147e285f80c5200a3bdeca9f1a3b32cd00b78a0d4fe338383ac05dc47
stream_122_off0007ad8c.bin decompressed-pdf-stream PDF FlateDecoded stream at offset 0x7AD8C 9733 bytes
SHA-256: 49ca8c086f008e85f50e2e51c9b55a8c2fe8c2026ac60bcf6a4acd3f7eb7ac31
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 decompressed-pdf-stream PDF FlateDecoded stream at offset 0x7DAF4 8772 bytes
SHA-256: 2113bd6219ad3befb7a1c5dae703905d672d59dc521c4b7b0b1fb555263d1bf3
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.85, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_00_type1_off0006558b.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x6558B 8342 bytes
SHA-256: 99eff50cdcbd3b2de0dffe0872f1a9b1bff02a0caf51541561ab6860a28eef88
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.84, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_01_type1_off000675b0.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x675B0 14517 bytes
SHA-256: 3094825b5ce890f712e15e00639dcaaf89332e918ec2c752958143c70d2b9fe6
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.88, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_02_type1_off0006ad62.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x6AD62 1931 bytes
SHA-256: c09210d295e4d4d9dbb74b093e020f865083332b7bb7338196f1ae5171bef3d4
font_03_type1_off0006b56d.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x6B56D 3310 bytes
SHA-256: f1588eabbd670e98523666c1c3c04b712c1b3697d47a5408739062620b33659c
font_04_type1_off0006c2a7.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x6C2A7 2095 bytes
SHA-256: d5404eb74f2fe6b252ee95d36c847601169ade156df241fb1686b184793a1839
font_06_type1_off0006f751.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x6F751 1734 bytes
SHA-256: 7fa1975cfb5e221517c20cc8bc89f772ad59ad1fca5dc1ea37307406733dc851
font_07_type1_off0006fe93.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x6FE93 3376 bytes
SHA-256: fffc7ab8e0f0b59baa3cd48815c1c2a80d395dcb7a8d93956fd32b984aee31f2
font_09_type1_off000717bb.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x717BB 18521 bytes
SHA-256: 7977613468e73be9e77eadb5274aae8acf86e86a96bc30f3273f9f6ce1fa86f1
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.90, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_10_type1_off00075ede.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x75EDE 2834 bytes
SHA-256: 569e3874942341e79b54a7e474d51613fa4326e4add76424de02a044bf6cacb0
font_11_type1_off00076a5f.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x76A5F 2422 bytes
SHA-256: 6b2c9c9662d638cdb4048836bf9410dff4586924e8b7a9cd8eb108304bc0665f
font_12_type1_off00077445.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x77445 14936 bytes
SHA-256: 9a5e2064f194560c4c269c9f6dae2d324c3782846c6996f7d4698cec6ee9ede8
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.88, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_14_type1_off0007d324.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x7D324 1870 bytes
SHA-256: 602421b087b572a35685d8095011114746a50db26496bda74ac882a4352e2291
font_16_type1_off0007fcd1.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x7FCD1 2888 bytes
SHA-256: 3eaf0a1541e53aa5c72e7729e97c4ea043a8a73637a71bf26258920531129d32
font_17_type1_off00080894.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x80894 1436 bytes
SHA-256: d38696a0c92f5b1912369ebdf18bbc57461ca270be511ab5ecdd70955506e665
font_18_type1_off00080ea5.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x80EA5 12940 bytes
SHA-256: 72f9ff2c72f16f3bf48d4016a4532a5602bbb802237a5900bd736de7cdf31b69
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.90, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_19_type1_off00084096.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x84096 4650 bytes
SHA-256: 0313912b21cab1b37ba37b64fcdfad1b66e0e6dd1fe54e69acd2b5b7bd57234a
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.77, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_20_type1_off000852ec.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x852EC 17425 bytes
SHA-256: a64e5393bcc817dc708d2b5578eb03334a55afc91a1d9eec90e02622b4356ee8
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.89, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_21_type1_off000895d8.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x895D8 6182 bytes
SHA-256: e989a770203bd1bf3cac6acc62989a688c50f6ce1cc068cc6a50c3289ebc6a36
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.80, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_22_type1_off0008adf3.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x8ADF3 11016 bytes
SHA-256: 23b64e9facef1af0e00bded7422448d105af2b6909a3407f5428ad711e076e45
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact entropy is 7.85, consistent with packed or encrypted content.
font_23_type1_off0008d86b.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (type1) at offset 0x8D86B 2037 bytes
SHA-256: fad4e5fb60378fe8e8592ab9e4033f5d44c062aa2dbbd1047c568389f5fed1c6