All news with #infostealer tag

🔐 This report analyzes a new Gremlin stealer variant that leverages advanced obfuscation, including a commercial packer with instruction virtualization and .NET resource XOR encoding, to conceal final-stage payloads. The malware harvests browser cookies, session tokens, clipboard contents and cryptocurrency wallet data, and has added modules for Discord token theft, WebSocket session hijacking and a clipboard crypto-clipper. The variant uses staged in-memory decryption and a numeric decoder routine to frustrate static analysis, and Palo Alto Networks recommends protective coverage via Cortex XDR, Advanced WildFire and network security controls, and contacting Unit 42 for incident response.

⚠️ Researchers from Socket and StepSecurity warn that recently published versions of node-ipc (9.1.6, 9.2.3 and 12.0.1) contain an obfuscated stealer/backdoor triggered at runtime. The payload is appended as an IIFE to node-ipc.cjs, causing execution on every require('node-ipc') and avoiding npm lifecycle hooks. It fingerprints hosts, harvests up to 90 credential categories, compresses data, and exfiltrates via HTTPS to sh.azurestaticprovider[.]net and via DNS TXT records after overriding the resolver. The malicious builds were published by an unrelated maintainer account, prompting removal and secret rotation recommendations.

🔒A new TrickMo Android banking trojan variant, observed by ThreatFabric in January–February 2026, leverages the decentralized TON network for command-and-control communications and targets banking and cryptocurrency wallet users in France, Italy and Austria. The malware uses a runtime-loaded APK (dex.module) delivered via dropper apps and phasing websites, and embeds a native TON proxy to resolve .adnl endpoints. It adds network-oriented features — reconnaissance commands, SSH tunnelling and authenticated SOCKS5 proxying — enabling compromised devices to act as programmable network pivots and exit nodes.

⚠ TeamPCP's "Mini Shai-Hulud" campaign has trojanized npm and PyPI packages from maintainers including TanStack, Mistral AI, OpenSearch, UiPath, and Guardrails AI, deploying an obfuscated credential stealer that targets cloud services, crypto wallets, AI tools, messaging apps and CI systems. The malware exfiltrates data via a Session Protocol domain (filev2.getsession[.]org), a typosquat domain and GitHub API dead-drops, and persists through IDE hooks in Claude Code and VS Code. Attackers abused GitHub Actions OIDC permissions and produced malicious packages with valid SLSA attestations; TanStack's cluster was assigned CVE-2026-45321 (CVSS 9.6).

🔒 HiddenLayer discovered the Open-OSS/privacy-filter repository on Hugging Face was malicious on May 7. The repo, which copied OpenAI's Privacy Filter model card almost verbatim and showed inflated engagement, delivered a Rust-based infostealer via a base64-encoded loader. The malware steals browser passwords, session cookies, tokens, crypto wallet data and other credentials. HiddenLayer warns anyone who ran files from the repo to treat hosts as fully compromised and to wipe, isolate and rotate all affected credentials.

🔒 Ontinue detailed a campaign distributing a previously undocumented information stealer via fake Claude Code install pages that hijack Chromium browsers to bypass App-Bound Encryption and exfiltrate cookies, passwords and payment data from developer workstations. The lure substituted the canonical Anthropic host for an attacker-controlled domain while /install.ps1 returned a verbatim genuine installer, letting automated scanners see benign PowerShell. A native helper is reflectively injected into browser processes to invoke the IElevator2 COM interface and extract encryption keys, while the PowerShell layer handles persistence, collection and C2 communications. Defenders are urged to enforce constrained PowerShell, enable script block logging and block newly registered domains.

⚠️ A malicious Hugging Face repository posing as an OpenAI release delivered an infostealer to Windows hosts and accumulated about 244,000 downloads before removal. Researchers at HiddenLayer found the repo copied OpenAI’s model card and included a loader.py that fetched and executed credential-stealing payloads. The loader disabled SSL verification, used jsonkeeper.com as a C2, and employed scheduled tasks and a Rust-based infostealer to exfiltrate browser data, wallets, Discord storage, and FileZilla credentials.

🚨 A malicious Hugging Face repository impersonating OpenAI's Privacy Filter model reached #1 trending before being disabled after delivering a Rust-based information stealer to Windows users. The attacker typosquatted the legitimate release and copied its model card, instructing victims to run a loader.py or Windows start.bat to fetch payloads via a JSON Keeper dead drop. The multi-stage chain used PowerShell to download secondary loaders, set Defender exclusions, and install a one-shot scheduled task that launched a stealer collecting browser, wallet and app data for exfiltration.

⚠️ Attackers are using Google Ads to direct macOS users to malicious instructions hosted inside Claude.ai shared chats. The chats disguise themselves as official installation guides and prompt users to paste Terminal commands that download compressed shell scripts and execute them in memory. Some variants profile victims (including keyboard locale) before running a second-stage payload via osascript, while others immediately steal browser credentials, cookies, and Keychain items. Avoid pasting terminal commands and visit the official site directly.

⚠️A malicious Hugging Face repository impersonated OpenAI’s Privacy Filter and briefly reached #1, reportedly accumulating 244,000 downloads before removal. HiddenLayer found the repo used a typosquatted name and a loader.py that disabled SSL checks, decoded a base64 URL, and executed a PowerShell chain to deploy a Rust-based infostealer. The malware harvests browser credentials, tokens, wallets, SSH/FTP/VPN files and more, exfiltrating data to a C2 server. Users are urged to reimage affected machines, rotate credentials, and replace wallets and seed phrases.

🚨 The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has warned of a widespread campaign using compromised WordPress sites and the ClickFix social‑engineering technique to deliver the Vidar Stealer infostealer to Windows systems. Attackers lure victims with fake CAPTCHA prompts that trick users into executing malicious commands, enabling in‑memory persistence and evasion. The ACSC advises restricting unauthorised execution, keeping WordPress and OS components patched, limiting clipboard write access, and enforcing phishing‑resistant MFA.

⚠️ A new banking trojan named TCLBanker is being distributed via a trojanized MSI installer for Logitech AI Prompt Builder and targets 59 banking, fintech, and cryptocurrency platforms, with initial activity observed mainly in Brazil. Researchers at Elastic Security Labs report the malware uses DLL side-loading and strong anti-analysis defenses, runs persistent watchdogs to detect debuggers, and monitors the browser address bar to trigger theft routines. It provides remote-control capabilities (live streaming, screenshots, keylogging, clipboard theft, and shell execution) and uses WPF overlays to capture credentials. Uniquely, TCLBanker includes worm modules that hijack WhatsApp Web sessions and abuse Microsoft Outlook to self-propagate to contacts, increasing the risk of rapid spread.

⚠️ The Australian Cyber Security Center (ACSC) warns of an ongoing campaign using the ClickFix social-engineering technique to deliver Vidar Stealer. Attackers compromise WordPress sites and redirect visitors to pages that display fake Cloudflare verification or CAPTCHA prompts instructing users to copy and execute malicious PowerShell commands. Once executed, the payload launches Vidar, which operates from memory and targets browser credentials, cookies, cryptocurrency wallets, autofill data, and system information. ACSC advises restricting PowerShell execution, applying application allow-listing, and keeping WordPress themes and plugins updated or removed when unused.

🔒 SentinelOne researchers led by Alex Delamotte disclosed PCPJack, a modular credential-theft framework that targets exposed cloud, container, developer, productivity, and financial services while actively removing artifacts tied to TeamPCP. The campaign boots via a shell script that prepares the host, installs Python, fetches six purpose-built Python payloads, and launches an orchestrator that exploits known CVEs and propagates in a worm-like fashion. Stolen credentials are encrypted and exfiltrated to attacker-controlled Telegram channels, and a secondary script harvests service keys from IMDS, Kubernetes service accounts, and Docker instances for a wide range of services including OpenAI and 1Password.

🔐 The World Password Day 2026 post contends that conventional password guidance is now inadequate: a 16-character secret can be lifted by infostealer malware from browser caches or exposed when employees paste credentials into unmanaged AI chatbots. It exposes a global, commoditized underground on platforms like Telegram where harvested credentials are bought and sold. The article warns organizations that passwords alone cannot prevent account takeover and urges layered technical and policy controls.

⚠️ ThreatsDay reports a mix of blunt‑force commodity attacks and high‑impact technical flaws this week. A new MicroStealer campaign is targeting education and telecom organizations, exfiltrating browser credentials, active sessions and wallets via Discord webhooks and attacker servers. Researchers disclosed critical ICS and MOVEit vulnerabilities while analysis shows the VECT 2.0 ransomware encryptor is broken. Browsers and AI are accelerating risk vectors — patch and verify installs urgently.

🔐 Microsoft describes an evolving ClickFix campaign targeting macOS users by hosting Base64-encoded instructions on blogs and content platforms to trick victims into running Terminal commands. Those one-line commands leverage native utilities (curl, osascript, Base64/Gzip) to fetch and execute infostealers such as Macsync, SHub, and AMOS largely in memory, bypassing Gatekeeper. The malware harvests Keychain entries, iCloud data, browser credentials, media files, and cryptocurrency wallets, and has in some cases replaced legitimate wallet apps with trojanized versions. Organizations should monitor command-line activity and enable EDR/XDR protections and Defender cloud features.

🔓 Researchers found that a new infostealer, VoidStealer, can bypass Chrome’s App-Bound Encryption by attaching to the browser process as a debugger and setting breakpoints at decryption routines. At the moment the browser decrypts data, the malware reads the master key directly from memory, enabling theft of session cookies and other secrets. The technique affects other Chromium-based browsers and is available as malware-as-a-service, increasing its reach. Users should combine secure practices and endpoint defenses rather than rely solely on built-in protections.

⚠️A malicious PyTorch Lightning package (lightning==2.6.3) published to PyPI contained a hidden execution chain that triggers on import and silently spawns a background process. That process downloads the Bun JavaScript runtime (v1.3.13) and runs an 11.4 MB heavily obfuscated payload detected by Microsoft Defender as ShaiWorm. The payload steals .env files, API keys, GitHub tokens, and credentials from Chrome, Firefox, and Brave, and can query cloud APIs; Lightning AI reverted PyPI to 2.6.1 and urges immediate rotation of secrets.

🛡️ Unit 42 identified 18 malicious browser extensions posing as GenAI productivity tools that deliver RATs, infostealers and MitM capabilities. These extensions intercept prompts, exfiltrate credentials and proxy HTTPS responses, often using AI-generated code to accelerate development. Organizations should restrict extensions, scrutinize permissions and treat browsers as critical attack surfaces. Google removed or warned developers after disclosure.