Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 f0fef895599db93a…

MALICIOUS

PDF

17.4 KB
MD5: 98e71e13e6e6082959435f05fe78fdfa SHA-1: 15aec36014b3d0db3353ecf3c81b95d0ff5a1667 SHA-256: f0fef895599db93a6b8ffdeb0e42bd15a1d921bf2cc556c9e5660473afa2ae22
194 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1204.002 Malicious Link T1059.001 PowerShell

This PDF file is identified as malicious due to the presence of embedded JavaScript, which is obfuscated and designed as a multi-stage dropper. The primary exploit targets CVE-2007-5659, a known vulnerability in Adobe Reader, indicated by the 'Collab.collectEmailInfo' sink. The embedded JavaScript is heavily obfuscated, employing techniques like String.fromCharCode with hex decoding and incremental evaluation, typical of advanced droppers. It also includes anti-analysis checks such as repeated app.plugIns.length verifications. The file is flagged by ClamAV as Pdf.Exploit.Agent-35901, further confirming its malicious nature. The script's intent is to download and execute a second-stage payload.

Heuristics 8

  • Collab.collectEmailInfo — CVE-2007-5659 critical CVE exact CVE_2007_5659
    PDF JavaScript calls Collab.collectEmailInfo — CVE-2007-5659 is a buffer overflow in Adobe Reader triggered by a long argument or heap-sprayed message field passed to Collab.collectEmailInfo(). Part of a series of Acrobat JS API exploits. (identified after JavaScript deobfuscation)
  • ClamAV: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-35901 critical CLAMAV_DETECTION
    ClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-35901
  • Obfuscated multi-stage PDF JavaScript dropper high PDF_JS_OBFUSCATED_DROPPER
    PDF JavaScript shows 4 independent signals of exploit-kit-style multi-stage obfuscation: annot_subject_stage, hex_codec_loop, incremental_eval_build, repeated_pluginschk. This is strongly consistent with pre-2011 Adobe Reader PDF droppers — OpenAction JS reads encoded data from annotation subjects, decodes it through one or more hex / base-N loops, and invokes eval indirectly (method name built one character at a time). The actual CVE is hidden in the final decoded layer and is not visible via static analysis.
  • 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.
  • String.fromCharCode low PDF_FROMCHARCODE
    String.fromCharCode found — used to construct payload strings dynamically. Common in benign JavaScript libraries for codepoint manipulation, so this alone is informational; weaponised use is also caught by the dedicated fromCharCode-stage and exploit-shape rules. (matched inside decoded stream)
  • syncAnnotScan annotation-staging primitive low PDF_FOXIT_SYNCANNOTSCAN
    PDF JavaScript calls syncAnnotScan() — a no-op annotation-enumeration primitive used by exploit-kit JavaScript to stage payload reads from annotation /Subject fields before eval(). Not a vulnerable sink itself; rarely seen in legitimate PDFs. (matched in decompressed stream)
  • 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.

Extracted artifacts 3

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
javascript_obj0009_000.js
4718a27c2224fc36bf24f8e8e04598f1ad78adce4401c7be2708318738a6983d
pdf-javascript-stream PDF /JS object 9 at offset 0x42F1 469 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 1 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
legacy_pdfkit_stage_000.js
3c129cd6bd08c96ca9366f52830377087882ea650ea13635a1120e46b3f87944
deobfuscated-js z-percent UTF-16BE base-21 decoded JavaScript at offset 0x1A84 5369 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 5 eval/decoder/string-building token(s).
deobfuscated.js
034100a32d0c6eb05a712625c7a868992297ac93fb643f67fe316d37bfd42696
deobfuscated-js PDF JavaScript deobfuscation pass 122231 bytes
Detection
ClamAV: No threats found
Obfuscation or payload: likely
Carved artifact contains 4 eval/decoder/string-building token(s). Carved artifact contains 2 long base64-like blob(s).