{
  "family": "browserpwdstealer",
  "sample_count": 2,
  "category": "infostealer",
  "description": "Browserpwdstealer (classified in antivirus detection telemetry under designations including PWS:Win32/Browserpwdstealer, PWS.Win32.Browserpwdstealer, and Win32/Browserpwdstealer) is a dedicated information theft malware engineered to harvest stored credentials, browser session cookies, cryptocurrency wallets, and keystrokes. Disseminated across enterprise networks and consumer workstations via social engineering, phishing attachments, malicious drive-by downloads, or weaponized software cracks, Browserpwdstealer executes an initial reconnaissance phase upon system ingress. The binary evaluates host privileges, detects active hypervisors and sandbox environments to evade behavioral analysis, and establishes resilient autostart persistence by configuring registry keys under HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run or registering background Windows services. Operational mechanics characteristic of this family include credential database extraction, API hooking, system discovery, and encrypted C2 exfiltration. Outbound communication is established with remote threat actor infrastructure to beacon operational status and receive tasking, posing significant security risks to data integrity and host availability.",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk Threat Intelligence Team.",
  "aliases": [
    "PWS:Win32/Browserpwdstealer",
    "PWS.Win32.Browserpwdstealer",
    "Win32/Browserpwdstealer"
  ],
  "enrichment_level": "curated_sourced",
  "faq": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is PWS:Win32/Browserpwdstealer?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Browserpwdstealer is a infostealer threat designed to infiltrate Windows systems and execute unauthorized operations without user consent."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How does Browserpwdstealer compromise target systems?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "It commonly infiltrates systems via phishing emails, trojanized software installers, exploit kits, or unpatched vulnerabilities."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What persistence mechanisms does Browserpwdstealer utilize?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "It typically creates autostart entries in the Windows Registry (HKCU/HKLM Run keys), registers scheduled tasks, or installs hidden background services."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What risks does Browserpwdstealer pose to an enterprise?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "It can lead to credential theft, system manipulation, unauthorized remote access, data loss, or secondary malware delivery."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How can administrators detect and eliminate Browserpwdstealer?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Deploy modern EDR solutions with updated behavioral signatures, isolate infected endpoints, audit autostart persistence entries, and conduct full antimalware scans."
      }
    }
  ],
  "faq_count": 5,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1555",
    "T1056.001",
    "T1114",
    "T1041",
    "T1082"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-10-16",
  "mitre_attack_detail": [
    {
      "id": "T1555.003",
      "name": "Credentials from Password Stores: Credentials from Web Browsers (The primary objective)",
      "tactic": "Credential Access"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1005",
      "name": "Data from Local System (Accessing local SQLite databases)",
      "tactic": "Collection"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1048",
      "name": "Exfiltration Over Alternative Protocol (Uploading the stolen credentials)",
      "tactic": "Exfiltration"
    }
  ],
  "containment_steps": [
    "Immediately isolate the machine and assume all saved web credentials have been stolen.",
    "Initiate a forced password reset for *all* corporate accounts the user possessed, prioritizing VPN, email, and SSO portals.",
    "Instruct the user to reset all personal passwords (banking, social media) from a known-clean device, starting with their primary email account.",
    "Ensure Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is strictly enforced across all critical applications to mitigate the use of stolen passwords."
  ],
  "what_to_avoid": [
    "Do not allow the user back onto the network until their primary credentials have been rotated.",
    "Avoid letting users store sensitive corporate passwords in their browser's built-in password manager; utilize a dedicated, enterprise-grade password vault."
  ],
  "target_industries": [
    "Global / Opportunistic"
  ],
  "motivation": "Opportunistic",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ],
  "attack_stage": [
    "execution",
    "persistence"
  ],
  "ecosystem": [
    "windows_pe"
  ],
  "is_emerging": false,
  "sources": [
    {
      "name": "Microsoft Defender Threat Encyclopedia - PWS:Win32/Browserpwdstealer",
      "url": "https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/threats/malware-encyclopedia-description?Name=PWS:Win32/Browserpwdstealer"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kaspersky Threat Intelligence - PWS.Win32.Browserpwdstealer",
      "url": "https://threats.kaspersky.com/en/threat/"
    },
    {
      "name": "MITRE ATT&CK - Enterprise Techniques",
      "url": "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1555/"
    }
  ],
  "target_platforms": [
    "Windows 11",
    "Windows 10",
    "Windows Server 2022",
    "Windows Server 2019"
  ]
}