MALICIOUS
616
Risk Score
Malware Insights
MITRE ATT&CK
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution
T1059.007 JavaScript
T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment
The PDF contains JavaScript that utilizes the `exportDataObject` function, which is known to be used in conjunction with PDF exploits to launch embedded executables. Critical heuristics indicate a launch action targeting `cmd.exe` and an embedded Windows executable payload. The document body, while appearing to be installation instructions for Zimbra Desktop, contains commands that rename the embedded payload to `zimbra.exe` and execute it, indicating a clear attempt to trick the user into running a malicious file.
Machine Learning
- Nyx PDF Classifier malicious score 0.9972
Heuristics 14
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Adobe Reader Launch action command execution critical CVE exact CVE_2010_1240PDF 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.
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TrueType bitmap font + active content — CVE-2023-26369 related high PDF_CVE_2023_26369_RELATEDPDF embeds a TrueType font with bitmap tables (EBDT/sbix/CBDT) alongside exploit delivery indicators — CVE-2023-26369 exploits the sfac_GetSbitBitmap function in Adobe's libCoolType for arbitrary code execution. This CVE was actively exploited in the wild, but this rule does not validate the malformed EBLC/EBDT primitive.
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ClamAV: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-23598 critical CLAMAV_DETECTIONClamAV detected this file as malware: Pdf.Exploit.Agent-23598
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Launch action critical PDF_LAUNCHPDF contains a /Launch action whose target is an executable, URL, or UNC path — can start an external application
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Embedded Windows executable payload in PDF stream critical PDF_EMBEDDED_PE_PAYLOADPDF 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.
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/Launch action target: cmd.exe critical PDF_LAUNCH_COMMANDPDF /Launch action specifies an executable target with parameters '/Q /C (if exist "%HOMEPATH%\\My Documents\\zimbra.pdf" (cd "%HOMEPATH%\\My Documents"' — references a known-dangerous executable (cmd, PowerShell, etc.).
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Embedded attachment masquerades: declared document, content is windows-executable critical PDF_EMBEDDED_FILESPEC_CONTENT_MISMATCHAn /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.
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Suspicious extracted artifact critical EXTRACTED_FILE_STATIC_TRIAGEOne 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.
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JavaScript action low 2 related findings PDF_JAVASCRIPTPDF contains a /JavaScript action. Generic JavaScript is common in benign forms; specific dangerous APIs are scored by separate rules.
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PDF JavaScript exploit cluster critical PDF_JS_EXPLOIT_CLUSTERPDF combines an executable JavaScript/action surface with exploit staging indicators such as eval/unescape/fromCharCode, XFA script content, or a related CVE pattern. Benign form JavaScript remains low-severity, but this correlated cluster is high-confidence malicious behavior.
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Embedded JS stream low PDF_JSPDF references a /JS stream. Generic JavaScript is common in benign forms; specific dangerous APIs are scored by separate rules.
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/Launch action paired with attachment-dropping JS API high PDF_LAUNCH_PLUS_DROPPER_JSPDF 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.
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Embedded file low PDF_EMBEDDEDPDF embeds a file attachment — could carry an executable or another weaponised document as a nested payload
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Embedded URL info EMBEDDED_URLOne 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 tcp://192.168.1.253:4444 In extracted file (zimbra.pdf)
- http://ocsp.verisign.com0In extracted file (stream_025_off000454e5.bin)
- http://www.zimbra.com/products/desktop_download.htmlIn PDF document text
- http://www.microsoft.com/typography/ctfontshttp://fontfabrik.comYouIn extracted file (stream_025_off000454e5.bin)
- http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fonts/default.aspxIn extracted file (stream_025_off000454e5.bin)
- http://crl.verisign.com/ThawteTimestampingCA.crl0In extracted file (stream_025_off000454e5.bin)
- http://crl.verisign.com/tss-ca.crl0In extracted file (stream_025_off000454e5.bin)
- http://crl.microsoft.com/pki/crl/products/CodeSignPCA2.crl0OIn extracted file (stream_025_off000454e5.bin)
- http://www.microsoft.com/pki/certs/CodeSignPCA2.crt0In extracted file (stream_025_off000454e5.bin)
- http://www.microsoft.com/typographyIn extracted file (stream_025_off000454e5.bin)
Extracted artifacts 5
Files carved from inside the sample during analysis.
| Filename | Kind | Source | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
zimbra.pdf |
pdf-embedded-file | PDF EmbeddedFile object 147 at offset 0x62F06 | 87552 bytes |
SHA-256: 26fd45b149f0c4e1184db293873ca10b743f69676e0b29021ab5c0840430e9d2 |
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Detection
ClamAV:
No threats found
Obfuscation or payload:
likely
actual_type=PE; declared_or_context_type=PDF; filename=zimbra.pdf; kind=pdf-embedded-file Static shellcode analysis recovered the Metasploit stager connect-back address: 192.168.1.253:4444 (reverse/x86, lab (non-routable)) Static shellcode analysis found candidate code region(s). Indicators: SC_MSF_BIND, SC_PUSH_STRING, SC_STR_GETPROCADDRESS Static shellcode analysis recovered API/import strings: GetProcAddress, ExitProcess, LoadLibraryA, VirtualAlloc
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javascript_obj0148_000.js |
pdf-javascript-stream | PDF /JS object 148 at offset 0x69581 | 55 bytes |
SHA-256: b8552cd76cb68f09d9a738e5c24d94a0fef2d69bbb8c94463a68b3332315e807 |
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Preview scriptFirst 1,000 lines of the extracted script
this.exportDataObject({ cName: "zimbra", nLaunch: 0 });
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stream_001_off000008ef.bin |
decompressed-pdf-stream | PDF FlateDecoded stream at offset 0x8EF | 240690 bytes |
SHA-256: 980bf8b14ecfc2a3d60f250440759d350da7c37709448377fceeaadd723acb89 |
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stream_025_off000454e5.bin |
decompressed-pdf-stream | PDF FlateDecoded stream at offset 0x454E5 | 142676 bytes |
SHA-256: a88627101f0cc220250baf96aea8548422e35ed6851bce80eea372741e1a54e7 |
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font_01_sfnt_off000581b8.bin |
pdf-font-stream | PDF embedded font (sfnt) at offset 0x581B8 | 79012 bytes |
SHA-256: 6f5acd26add918aeefc5ed13c03c5f6c984f3b0ffbfaad34f8bdabe37e4fbeec |
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