Malicious PDF — malware analysis report

Static analysis result for SHA-256 fccd9bd71b73d2d9…

MALICIOUS

PDF

32.0 KB Created: 2018-06-11 08:15:05 -04:00 Authoring application: wkhtmltopdf 0.12.4 (via Qt 4.8.7) First seen: 2020-09-24
MD5: baf0c68352b9a5c46d0ab03012cd92e9 SHA-1: eff4b77e87cf4d86e4d64b0cea62955b0e06bf5e SHA-256: fccd9bd71b73d2d9274d2aad273e25537a2cbe570a1c25d4883253e1c9868220
130 Risk Score

Malware Insights

MITRE ATT&CK
T1566.002 Spearphishing Attachment T1204.002 Malicious File

The PDF contains embedded URLs and a document body that mimics content related to SHL numerical tests, aiming to trick users into downloading further content. The ML classifier strongly flagged this PDF as malicious, and the presence of external URIs suggests a download lure. The primary malicious URLs identified are http://uncpbisdegree.com/download3.php?q=shl-numerical-answers.pdf and http://uncpbisdegree.com/download4.php?q=shl-numerical-answers.pdf, which are likely serving the next stage of the attack.

Machine Learning

  • Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 0.9202

Heuristics 4

  • Fake 'free download' SEO-poisoning PDF critical PDF_SEO_FAKE_DOWNLOAD
    The ML classifier flagged this PDF AND it carries a visual download/call-to-action lure AND an off-domain server-side download-gateway link whose query string names a document payload. This three-signal conjunction is the fake-document / 'free PDF download' SEO-poisoning delivery pattern: the page is padded with benign decoy links to dilute classifier scores while funnelling the victim through the gateway to malware/scareware. Acting only on the conjunction keeps benign download-bearing PDFs from being misflagged.
  • PDF carries a PHP-gateway SEO-spam PDF link farm medium PDF_SEO_PHP_GATEWAY_LINK_FARM
    PDF contains four or more clickable links whose target is a `.php` gateway with a multi-word search-PHRASE document slug embedded after it (e.g. 'index.php?.../binary+options+trading+nz.pdf' or 'pdf.php/cialis-dosage-side-effects.pdf'). Legitimate PHP-served documents use a filename or numeric id, not a search-query phrase, so this is the generated SEO link-farm shape — pharma / binary-options / 'free download' spam that ranks for queries and routes users into payload/redirect chains. The PDF itself carries no exploit — the risk is the linked destinations.
  • Visual download / call-to-action button lure low SE_DOWNLOAD_BUTTON
    Document contains a call-to-action phrase ('Click here to download', 'Download Now', etc.) — low-signal unless other findings point to a malicious workflow
  • 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://uncpbisdegree.com/download3.php?q=shl-numerical-answers.pdf In PDF document text
    • http://uncpbisdegree.com/download4.php?q=shl-numerical-answers.pdfIn PDF document text
    • https://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/shl-numerical-testIn PDF document text
    • https://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/shl-numerical-test-examplesIn PDF document text
    • https://www.gradtests.com.au/test/starttest/TestType/2/TestId/45In PDF document text
    • https://practicereasoningtests.com/shl-tests/In PDF document text
    • https://www.gradtests.com.au/index/ourpackage/In PDF document text
    • https://practicereasoningtests.com/practice-verbal-test/In PDF document text
    • https://www.practiceaptitudetests.com/numerical-reasoning-tests/In PDF document text
    • https://www.shldirect.com/en/assessment-advice/example-questionsIn PDF document text
    • https://www.ksl-training.co.uk/free-resources/psychometric-testing/shl-test-preparation/In PDF document text
    • https://www.graduatesfirst.com/In PDF document text
    • http://www.numericalreasoning.co.uk/data-interpretation/In PDF document text
    • https://www.assessmentcentrehq.com/numerical-reasoning-practice-test/In PDF document text
    • https://www.assessmentday.co.uk/In PDF document text
    • https://www.graduatesfirst.com/employer-tests/shl-ceb-occupational-personality-questionnaire-opq/In PDF document text
    • https://www.wikijob.co.uk/content/interview-advice/interview-types/technical-interview#In PDF document text
    • http://uncpbisdegree.com/1/statics-engineering-mechanics-solutions-13th-edition.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://uncpbisdegree.com/1/spirit-of-the-valley-green-valley-series-book-2.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://uncpbisdegree.com/1/tamed-and-mated-3-41262.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://uncpbisdegree.com/1/the-castles-of-britain-and-ireland.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://uncpbisdegree.com/1/solutions-pre-intermediate-listening.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://uncpbisdegree.com/1/staff-accounting-interview-questions-and-answers.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://uncpbisdegree.com/1/the-headmasters-wife-thomas-christopher-greene.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://uncpbisdegree.com/1/service-manual-sportsman-700.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://riverside-resort.net/1/university-physics-10th-edition-solutions-manual-young.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://riverside-resort.net/1/vinyl-car-stickers-dubai.pdfIn PDF document text
    • http://www.ascendercorp.com/In PDF document text
    • http://www.ascendercorp.com/typedesigners.htmlIn PDF document text
    • https://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/psychotests.htmIn PDF document text
    • http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=521839&CLCID=0409In PDF document text
    • http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=246338&CLCID=0409In PDF document text
    • https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=868922In PDF document text
    • http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=286759&CLCID=409In PDF document text
    • http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=617297In PDF document text
    • https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Licensing/LiberationFontLicenseIn PDF document text

Extracted artifacts 2

Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.

FilenameKindSourceSize
font_00_sfnt_off00004198.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (sfnt) at offset 0x4198 10624 bytes
SHA-256: 3711beb06ba06bcead236816cd5988c551ecaa331232a2faf820c9b8f0ebdbaf
font_01_sfnt_off0000633d.bin pdf-font-stream PDF embedded font (sfnt) at offset 0x633D 6836 bytes
SHA-256: 09f89942d7f8d7400911383cf157472de5b137ed27815bd8c5352acdd23584a9