Infostealers have become a significant cyber threat, accounting for almost a quarter of all incidents detected by Huntress in 2024, by harvesting sensitive credentials and data that fuel ransomware, extortion, and identity theft attacks. The evolution of infostealers, their targeting of diverse information including corporate credentials and cloud keys, and the law enforcement takedowns of related marketplaces highlight both the risks and ongoing efforts to combat these threats. #Infostealers #LummaStealer #RedLine #BansheeStealer
Keypoints
- Infostealers originated with Zeus in 2007, evolving through source code leaks into numerous variants targeting banking and broader credential types.
- Modern infostealers target corporate credentials such as SAML, SSO, VPN, Slack tokens, and cloud service API keys, which are highly valued in underground marketplaces.
- The Banshee Stealer macOS infostealer source code leak in 2024 led to new variants like FrigidStealer, FleshStealer, and Realst Stealer focusing on Apple ecosystem data.
- Law enforcement actions in 2024 and 2025 have targeted key marketplaces and infostealer infrastructure, including takedowns of RedLine, META, Cracked, Nulled, and Lumma Stealer.
- Infostealers employ diverse distribution methods including phishing, malicious websites, and Google-based malvertising to infect victims.
- Huntress SOC detected attacks using disguised executables (e.g., notiom.exe) and techniques like misuse of Chrome’s remote debugging to steal cookies.
- Effective defense strategies include multi-factor authentication, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), employee training, and awareness of common Indicators of Compromise.
MITRE Techniques
- [T1059 ] Command and Scripting Interpreter – Infostealers abuse scripting frameworks like AppleScript to simulate prompts and steal credentials, e.g., “Infostealers like Realst also abuse the AppleScript framework…”
- [T1086 ] PowerShell – Infostealers misuse scripting capabilities to extract and harvest sensitive data from systems.
- [T1176 ] Browser Extensions – Infostealers extract browser-stored credentials and cookies, demonstrated by misuse of Chrome remote debugging to steal cookies (“…misused remote debugging in Chrome…”).
- [T1110 ] Brute Force – Infostealers utilize harvested credentials to increase the attack surface and facilitate unauthorized access.
- [T1216 ] System Network Configuration Discovery – Infostealers gather network credentials including VPN, SSH, and RDP keys for lateral movement.
- [T1047 ] Windows Management Instrumentation – Some infostealers employ system management tools to persist or facilitate data collection.
Indicators of Compromise
- [File Name] Malicious executable disguising as legitimate app – notiom.exe (disguised Notion app used in March 2025 attack)
- [File Name] Temporary file names linked to infostealers – raretemp (associated with Lumma Stealer activity)
- [Domain] Newly registered malicious domains hosting infostealer payloads – specific domain not named, linked to malicious IP address in Huntress detection
- [Marketplace] Infostealer marketplaces – Russian Market, 2Easy Market, InfoLog Empire (notable platforms for selling stolen credentials)
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