File verdict·Decided by the MT AI Engine
Our call

Suspicious

Single tier-1 phishing label on a brand-new unsigned PDF with no sandbox or multi-engine confirmation.

Trust score45Caution
saraba@pdsbnet.ca_Provincial and demonstration schools branch.pdf
85.0 KB
7b7606a6b4d8d5183fd9d603707b
Antivirus engines
1 of 75 flagged
Code signing
Unsigned
Age
First seen 2mo ago
MT AI Engine · Verdict analysis

The reasoning behind this verdict

The MT AI Engine weighs every signal from this scan — antivirus detections, sandbox behaviour, code signing, prevalence and historical matches — to reach a single, evidence-based verdict.

65%Confidence
High
Reasoning

The payload shows a lone tier-1 malicious result against a backdrop of broad clean reporting and completely benign sandbox telemetry. Filename and threat label hint at phishing intent, yet the absence of corroborating signals from other engines, external intel, or runtime artifacts prevents a malicious verdict. Similar-hash RAG provides no additional context. This mixed evidence profile matches the borderline-mixed-signals pattern.

Key signals · 4

Each signal cites a concrete token from the evidence the arbiter saw — engine name, MITRE technique, signer string, or an exact count.

  1. engines.topDetections[0]: Fortinet tier1 result=PDF/Phishing.QRC!tr

  2. file.popularThreatLabel=phishing. and filenameAnalysis evidence of email lure pattern

  3. prevalence.classification=rare_new with firstSubmissionDate 0 days old

  4. behaviour.hasMaliciousSandboxVerdict=false and droppedChildren.hasMaliciousChild=false

Points in its favour
  • 16 tier-1 engines reported clean
  • No malicious sandbox verdict
  • No contacted malicious hosts or dropped malicious children
Points against
  • Single tier-1 phishing detection
  • Email-style filename suggesting targeted lure
  • Zero-day submission with rare prevalence
Recommended action

Quarantine the file and do not open it; request an alternative delivery method from the apparent sender.

What to do now

We couldn't fully clear this file. Treat it with caution.

  1. Don't run it unless you're certain it came from a source you trust.

  2. Check where you got it — an email attachment or a random download link is a red flag.

  3. If you're unsure, delete it. You can always re-download a clean copy from the official source.

  4. If you're still unsure, scan it again in a day or two — detections often catch up on newer files.

Runtime behaviour

What this file did when executed

This file was detonated in 1 sandbox and its runtime behaviour was observed.

Spawned processes
1
$(unnamed)
c:\program files (x86)\adobe\acrobat reader dc\reader\acrocef_1\RdrCEF.exe --backgroundcolor=16514043
Filesystem & mutexes
11
Files written9
  • C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Adobe\Acrobat\DC\SOPHIA\Reader\SOPHIA.json
  • C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Adobe\Acrobat\DC\SOPHIA\Reader\Files\TESTING
  • Local\07F84778
  • Local\07C14DF8
  • Local\07F85AE0
+4 more
Files deleted2
  • C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Adobe\Acrobat\DC\SOPHIA\Reader\Files\DC_READER_LAUNCH_CARD
  • C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Adobe\Acrobat\DC\SOPHIA\Reader\Files\ACROBAT_READER_MASTER_SURFACEID
Dropped payload

Files this sample writes at runtime

This file drops 6 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache.

6 unseen
  • ad27039abac3252c3b3937ede5Never scanned
    never seen before
  • 61ba57adc66672639bfb0b68dcNever scanned
    never seen before
  • 81ff65efc4487853bdb47c8e06Never scanned
    never seen before
  • 278165575687daf6392ee90a09Never scanned
    never seen before
  • bdee182473d254ab54249a28d3Never scanned
    never seen before
  • e3b0c44298fc1c149afb52b855Never scanned
    never seen before
No researcher-database hits
External threat-intel sources were not collected for this scan.
Antivirus engine breakdown

1 detection across 75 engines

1 malicious0 suspicious74 clean
Tier-117 engines
1flag
Top commercial AVs (low FP rate)
Tier-241 engines
0flag
Mainstream engines with mixed FP rates
Low-trust17 engines
0flag
Heuristic / generic-AI engines (high FP rate)
Fortinet
malicious
PDF/Phishing.QRC!tr
Hash 7b7606a6b4d8… cross-referenced against 75 AV engines via our AV network.
Prevalence

How widely this file has been seen

Barely seen in the wild and first surfaced recently. This is the footprint of targeted malware the AV industry hasn't signatured yet — extra scrutiny is warranted.

Rare & new
Unique uploaders
1
Very few people have ever uploaded this — rare.
Total submissions
1
Includes repeat uploads by the same source.
First seen
2mo ago
May 25, 2026
Prevalence quadrant
here
Rare · New
Targeted malware lives here
Common · New
Just-released software
Rare · Old
Niche or internal tooling
Common · Old
Trusted legitimate binaries
File identity

Forensic fingerprint

File biography
First seen (VT)
5/25/2026, 8:31:45 AM
First seen (MalwareBazaar)
Last analysis (VT)
5/25/2026, 8:31:45 AM
Scanned here
5/25/2026, 8:38:26 AM
File name
saraba@pdsbnet.ca_Provincial and demonstration schools branch.pdf
Size
85.0 KB
MIME type
(unknown)
Detected type
PDF
SHA-256
7b7606a6b4d8d5183f08778241b133a038cdaa6fe8b8a4d1e18faed9d603707b
MD5
d4b14b73f16764f88648813261b4a61e
SHA-1
376158e679ff8974671b26646a5bace9890e977f
First seen (VT)
5/25/2026, 8:31:45 AM
Last analysis (VT)
5/25/2026, 8:31:45 AM
First scan (MalwareTips)
5/25/2026, 8:38:26 AM
Last scan (MalwareTips)
5/25/2026, 8:38:26 AM
Behavior tags
pdf
Frequently asked

Safety FAQ

Common questions about saraba@pdsbnet.ca_Provincial and demonstration schools branch.pdf, answered from the scan data above.

  • saraba@pdsbnet.ca_Provincial and demonstration schools branch.pdf is suspicious — treat it as unsafe until you're sure. 1 of 75 antivirus engines flag it, which isn't a strong consensus but is enough to be cautious. Don't opened it unless you fully trust where it came from, and prefer downloading the software fresh from its official site.
  • saraba@pdsbnet.ca_Provincial and demonstration schools branch.pdf is a document file, about 85 KB. We identify a file by its cryptographic hash rather than its name, because the same filename can be reused by completely different files — the hash below is the reliable fingerprint.
  • 1 of 75 antivirus engines flagged saraba@pdsbnet.ca_Provincial and demonstration schools branch.pdf, 1 of them as outright malicious. A small number of detections can include false positives, so we weigh which engines flagged it and what else the file does, not just the raw count.
  • Act quickly. 1) Disconnect the device from the internet to stop the malware communicating or spreading. 2) Run a full scan with reputable anti-malware software (such as Malwarebytes) and quarantine everything it finds. 3) Change your important passwords from a DIFFERENT, clean device — many threats log keystrokes or steal saved credentials. 4) If you bank or shop on this device, watch closely for fraud and alert your bank. 5) For a confirmed infection, the most reliable fix is to back up your personal files and reinstall the operating system for a clean start.
  • To remove saraba@pdsbnet.ca_Provincial and demonstration schools branch.pdf: 1) restart into Safe Mode (Safe Mode with Networking if you need to download a tool) so the malware doesn't auto-start. 2) Run a full scan with reputable anti-malware software and let it quarantine or delete the detections. 3) Delete the original saraba@pdsbnet.ca_Provincial and demonstration schools branch.pdf file and empty the Recycle Bin/Trash. 4) Check your browser extensions, startup items, and scheduled tasks for anything unfamiliar. 5) Reboot and scan again to confirm it's gone. If detections keep coming back, a clean operating-system reinstall is the most dependable cure.
  • The SHA-256 hash of saraba@pdsbnet.ca_Provincial and demonstration schools branch.pdf is 7b7606a6b4d8d5183f08778241b133a038cdaa6fe8b8a4d1e18faed9d603707b, and its MD5 is d4b14b73f16764f88648813261b4a61e. This hash is the file's unique fingerprint — two files with the same SHA-256 are identical. Use it to confirm you're looking at exactly this file (not just one with the same name) when comparing against antivirus databases or a download's published checksum.
  • This report reflects the scan run on May 25, 2026. Because a file's hash never changes, the identity of saraba@pdsbnet.ca_Provincial and demonstration schools branch.pdf is fixed — but antivirus coverage improves over time, so a file that looks clean today can pick up detections later (and vice-versa). If you need the latest picture, MalwareTips staff can re-run the analysis from scratch.
Community classification

Reviews & malware reports(0)

Tell the community what you saw. Tag the sample — Trojan, Adware, False Positive — and share what the file did on your system. Your report helps confirm or dispute the AV verdict.

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Files are processed in a streaming pass-through — MalwareTips never stores the binary on its servers. Only the scan result (hash, detections, verdict) is retained so the next person who scans the same file gets an instant answer. If you ran this file on your computer and are worried, scan your system with an up-to-date antivirus and change critical passwords from a different device.