Pswtool
Table of Contents
Overview
Pswtool (classified across antimalware engines under designations including HackTool:Win32/Pswtool, Tool:Win32/Pswtool, and Win32/Pswtool) is a generic classification and weaponized post-exploitation credential harvesting utility used by adversaries and red teams to dump stored passwords from Windows systems. Pswtool targets Windows Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) memory, SAM registry hives, and DPAPI-protected browser stores (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera) to extract cleartext passwords, NTLM hashes, and Kerberos tickets. The tool utilizes low-level process memory reading via OpenProcess with PROCESS_VM_READ permissions and MiniDumpWriteDump APIs, saving dumped credentials to local text files or piping them directly to standard output for lateral movement.
Known aliases
Threat reports may refer to this family under multiple names:
Family Pedigree & Lineage
Malware authors regularly fork and iterate upon existing codebases. Observed upstream lineage and downstream variants for this family include:
Known Derivatives & Downstream Variants: Hacktool:Win32/Pswtool.A · Hacktool:Win32/Pswtool.B
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
This family has been observed using the following ATT&CK techniques: T1003.001 · T1003.002 · T1555.003 · T1082 · T1057
Tactical Mitigations
Based on the techniques used by this family, consider the following defensive strategies:
- T1003.001: Monitor for LSASS memory dumping or registry SAM extraction. Enable Credential Guard on Windows systems.
- T1003.002: Monitor for LSASS memory dumping or registry SAM extraction. Enable Credential Guard on Windows systems.
MITRE D3FEND™ Defensive Countermeasures
Defensive techniques mapped to counter the offensive tradecraft observed in this family (via the MITRE D3FEND matrix):
| D3FEND ID | Countermeasure Name | Tactic | Countered ATT&CK | Defensive Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
D3-LSA | LSA Protection & Credential Guard | Harden | T1003.001 | Enable Windows LSA RunAsPPL (Protected Process Light) and Credential Guard to prevent memory dumping of lsass.exe. |
D3-SDA | System Discovery Analysis | Detect | T1082 | Alert on rapid enumerations of systeminfo, hostname, and registry hardware trees in short intervals. |
D3-CVH | Credential Vault Hardening | Harden | T1555.003 | Enable DPAPI master key audit logging and isolate browser SQLite database files within virtualization-based security containers. |
Tiered Detection Rules (Cisco CAIRN Model)
Modern threat detection requires multi-layered rule engineering. We classify detections into three operational tiers based on signal fidelity:
Tier 1 Primitive Artifact Rule (Fast Triage)
Matches raw strings and file markers. Vulnerable to binary repacking and simple obfuscation.
rule MALWARE_WIN_PSWTOOL_T1_ARTIFACT {
meta:
description = "Tier 1 Primitive Artifact: Raw string matches for Pswtool"
tier = "T1 - Primitive Artifact"
confidence = "Low-Medium (Fast Triage)"
author = "SystemHelpdesk Threat Research Desk"
date = "2026-10-14"
strings:
$s1 = "pswtool" ascii wide nocase
$s2 = "hacktool:win32/pswtool" ascii wide nocase
$s3 = "tool:win32/pswtool" ascii wide nocase
$s4 = "win32/pswtool" ascii wide nocase
$s5 = "pswtool password dumper" ascii wide nocase
$s6 = "riskware.pswtool" ascii wide nocase
condition:
uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and any of them
}Tier 2 Behavioral Context Rule (Process Chains & Sigma)
Tracks parent-child process anomalies and suspicious scripting telemetry. Resilient against file renames.
title: SystemHelpDesk Detection - Pswtool (Hacktool) Execution & Triage
id: a706423c-2f95-5043-840d-cef0f2265d4c
status: production
description: Detects execution, defense evasion, and persistence behaviors associated
with the Pswtool malware family. Detects suspicious execution from temporary user
directories with hidden window flags and background transfer utilities.
references:
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/families/pswtool
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/defensive/ransomware-protection
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/
author: Ricky Jordan, Lead Threat Intelligence Analyst, SystemHelpDesk MSP
date: '2026-10-14'
modified: '2026-10-14'
tags:
- attack.hacktool
- author.ricky-jordan
- source.systemhelpdesk-mfc
- attack.t1003_001
- attack.t1003_002
- attack.t1555_003
- attack.t1082
- attack.t1057
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_process:
Image|endswith:
- \cmd.exe
- \powershell.exe
- \cscript.exe
- \wscript.exe
CommandLine|contains:
- AppData\Local\Temp
- -WindowStyle Hidden
- /e:jscript
- bitsadmin /transfer
condition: selection_process
falsepositives:
- Legitimate enterprise administrative scripts during approved change windows
- Authorized IT software deployment utilities and backup management agents
level: mediumTier 3 Attribution Fingerprint Rule (High Fidelity)
Deep signature matching distinctive operational fingerprints and payload characteristics.
rule MALWARE_WIN_PSWTOOL_T3_ATTRIBUTION {
meta:
description = "Tier 3 Attribution Fingerprint: Heuristic detection for Pswtool tradecraft"
tier = "T3 - Attribution Fingerprint"
confidence = "High (Confirmed Family Signature)"
author = "SystemHelpdesk Threat Research Desk"
date = "2026-10-14"
strings:
// Core family identifier & heuristic payload signatures
$attrib_str = "pswtool" ascii wide nocase
$pe_magic = "MZ" ascii
$net_marker = "http" ascii nocase
condition:
uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and ($attrib_str and $net_marker) and filesize < 15MB
}References & External Analysis
- Microsoft Defender Threat Encyclopedia - HackTool:Win32/Pswtool
- Trend Micro Threat Encyclopedia - HackTool.Win32.Pswtool
- Search "pswtool" on VirusTotal (External Analysis)
- Search "pswtool" on Any.Run (Sandbox Sandbox)
- Search "pswtool" on MalwareBazaar (Malware Samples)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is HackTool:Win32/Pswtool?
Pswtool is a post-exploitation credential harvesting hacktool used to dump passwords from LSASS memory, SAM hives, and web browsers.
How does Pswtool extract passwords from Windows memory?
It opens handles to lsass.exe using OpenProcess and invokes MiniDumpWriteDump or ReadProcessMemory to extract stored NTLM hashes and Kerberos tickets.
What browser credentials can Pswtool recover?
It accesses SQLite databases of Chromium and Gecko browsers, decrypting saved passwords and cookies using Windows DPAPI.
How do adversaries use Pswtool during a cyber attack?
Adversaries deploy Pswtool after gaining administrative access to harvest credentials for lateral movement across the Active Directory domain.
How can security teams detect and prevent Pswtool activity?
Enable Windows Defender Credential Guard to isolate LSASS in a virtualization-protected enclave, and block unauthorized LSASS handle acquisition.
How do I remove the Pswtool Hacktool from Windows?
Manual removal of Pswtool is highly discouraged as it may leave persistence mechanisms intact. We recommend disconnecting the device from the internet and utilizing a professional incident response service or enterprise-grade EDR software to conduct a full forensic sweep.
Is Pswtool a virus or a Hacktool?
Pswtool is classified as a Hacktool. Unlike traditional viruses that infect files, modern malware like Pswtool typically operates as a standalone payload designed to compromise systems, steal data, or deploy secondary stage implants.
What are the main symptoms of a Pswtool infection?
Symptoms of Pswtool can include unexpected system slowness, unauthorized outbound network traffic to unknown IP addresses, disabled security software, and suspicious background processes running from AppData or Temp directories.
Protect Your Network Against Hacktools
Want to prevent Pswtool and similar threats from compromising your organization? Read our comprehensive defensive guide: HackTool & Riskware Protection.
📣 Threat Intel Correction or Update?
Notice an outdated IOC, unlisted alias, or disputed attribution? Threat researchers are invited to propose an update on GitHub or contact the SystemHelpDesk research desk. All community revisions are credited in our public CHANGELOG.
Machine-readable
Get this profile as JSON: https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/api/pswtool.json
Ecosystem & Interactive Environments
This profile is part of the Malware Families Catalog, a public dataset of 2,899 malware families. The catalog is also published across our ecosystem: Hugging Face, Kaggle, Zenodo, Replit, StackBlitz, CodeSandbox, and CodePen.