Threat reportMalwareTL-2026-3342
WARDENStealer (win.warden_stealer) - Windows x64 MaaS Stealer, Clipper and Loader; MalwareBazaar sample 2dda0c1d...805926e
WARDENStealer (win.warden_stealer) (TL-2026-3342), also tracked as WARDEN Stealer, is a medium-severity malware campaign, first published 2026-10-12. It is attributed to WardenStealer with low confidence, affects Microsoft Windows (x64), maps to 9 MITRE ATT&CK techniques (T1008, T1030, T1055), and is covered by 9 detection rules and 7 indicators of compromise.
- Severity
- MEDIUMAssessed severity
- CVEs
- 0None referenced
- Techniques
- 9MITRE ATT&CK
- Actors
- 1WardenStealer
- Detection rules
- 9SPL · KQL · Sigma
- IOCs
- 7Indicators of compromise
Key facts for TL-2026-3342
- Threat ID
- TL-2026-3342
- Also known as
- WARDEN Stealer, WARDENStealer, win.warden_stealer
- Severity
- MEDIUM
- Status
- TRACKING
- Category
- MALWARE
- First published
- Last reviewed
- Attribution
- WardenStealer
- Attribution confidence
- LOW
- Motivation
- FINANCIAL
- Target sectors
- consumer, cryptocurrency
- Target regions
- Global (excluding CIS and Baltic states per seller geofencing claim)
- Detection rules
- 9
- Indicators of compromise
- 7
Malware and tooling in WARDENStealer (win.warden_stealer)
Malware and tooling: Clipper, WARDEN Stealer, WARDENStealer, win.warden_stealer
How WARDENStealer (win.warden_stealer) works
WARDEN Stealer is a Windows x64 information stealer, cryptocurrency-address clipper and loader sold as a subscription (MaaS) by an actor using the handle 'WardenStealer'; KrakenLabs documented the advertisement on 2026-07-24. A MalwareBazaar sample (SHA256 2dda0c1d9f63287c19663780ba88e731b4530568a65d5886cfc6a416d805926e) was catalogued under the family by Malpedia/abuse.ch on 2026-10-09. Most capabilities are seller claims, not sample-verified.
WARDEN Stealer (Malpedia: win.warden_stealer) is a multi-purpose Windows x64 malware offered as a Malware-as-a-Service subscription on underground cybercrime forums by an actor using the handle 'WardenStealer'. KrakenLabs observed and documented the advertisement on 2026-07-24. The offer combines three roles in a single compact executable (reportedly 500-600 KB per build): an information stealer, a cryptocurrency-address clipboard clipper, and a loader that fetches and executes additional payloads from operator-supplied URLs.
Advertised data theft covers saved passwords, session cookies, autofill entries, payment cards and browsing history from Chromium- and Gecko-based browsers, plus credentials and data from more than 330 desktop applications (messaging, VPN, productivity and gaming clients) and more than 200 browser-based cryptocurrency wallet extensions. The clipper component is described as silently replacing a wallet address copied to the Windows clipboard with an attacker-controlled address, rerouting outgoing transactions.
Claimed evasion and operational features: VM/sandbox detection, a browser App-Bound Encryption bypass, injection into legitimate system processes, a custom encrypted binary protocol (not HTTP/JSON) with per-build encryption keys, chunked log uploads intended to reduce network-sensor visibility, remotely adjustable configuration without rebuilding, 'private' and 'shared' Cloudflare-backed gates with automatic failover, and geofencing that excludes CIS and Baltic countries. The operator panel is web-based with real-time log processing, per-country/campaign statistics, Telegram notifications for high-value captures, bulk log downloads and password-protected reports. Supported OS is reported as Windows 7 through Windows 11. Reported pricing is USD 349/month with a 3-day trial plus 4 extra days for public review.
Evidence caveat: secondary reporting (GridinSoft) states explicitly that these capabilities are seller claims; no public working sample analysis, stable IOC set, delivery chain, persistence artifacts, or confirmed victim campaign was found in the checked source trail. The only technical indicator is the MalwareBazaar SHA256 recorded by Malpedia on 2026-10-09; the Malpedia family page has no description, YARA, aliases or actor links. PCrisk lists generic stealer distribution methods (phishing attachments, fake download sites, cracks/keygens, malvertising) but these are not specific to WARDEN and are not established for it. Delivery for the catalogued sample is unknown. Defenders should treat the behavioral detail as advertised capability and hunt for the generic stealer/clipper behavior it implies, not for confirmed WARDEN-specific artifacts.
MITRE ATT&CK techniques used in TL-2026-3342
Command and Control
T1008 Fallback Channels; T1095 Non-Application Layer Protocol; T1573 Encrypted Channel
Exfiltration
T1030 Data Transfer Size Limits
Defense Evasion
T1055 Process Injection; T1497 Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion
Discovery
T1217 Browser Information Discovery
Credential Access
T1539 Steal Web Session Cookie; T1555.003 Credentials from Web Browsers
Affected products and versions in WARDENStealer (win.warden_stealer)
- Microsoft — Windows (x64)
Vulnerable versions: Windows 7 through Windows 11 (as advertised by the seller)
Remediation for WARDENStealer (win.warden_stealer)
Immediate actions
- Add SHA256 2dda0c1d9f63287c19663780ba88e731b4530568a65d5886cfc6a416d805926e to EDR/AV blocklists and hunt for it across endpoints
- Where a host is suspected infected, reset browser-saved passwords and invalidate active web sessions/cookies from a clean device
- Move cryptocurrency funds from potentially exposed wallets and verify wallet addresses before sending transactions
Workarounds
- No vendor patch applies; this is a malware family, not a vulnerability
Longer-term hardening
- Deploy EDR with behavioral coverage for browser credential-store access, clipboard monitoring and process injection
- Discourage storing passwords and payment cards in browsers; enforce phishing-resistant MFA and short session lifetimes
- Restrict software installation to approved sources to reduce exposure to cracks and fake downloads
Timeline of WARDENStealer (win.warden_stealer)
- Born City gives 2026-07-24 as the public disclosure date; secondary outlets (Cyberpress, Born City, GridinSoft; individual article dates not stated) reported the advertised capabilities: 330+ applications, 200+ wallet extensions, custom encrypted binary protocol, CIS/Baltic geofencing. GridinSoft stressed these are seller claims without a public sample or IOC set.
- The advertisement priced WARDEN Stealer at USD 349/month with a 3-day trial plus 4 extra days for public review, and claimed support for Windows 7 through Windows 11, builds of roughly 500-600 KB, and 'private' and 'shared' Cloudflare-backed gates with automatic failover (seller claims as relayed by KrakenLabs-derived reporting).
- KrakenLabs observed and documented an underground-forum advertisement by actor 'WardenStealer' offering WARDEN Stealer, a Windows x64 stealer, clipper and loader, as a MaaS subscription.
- Malpedia family page win.warden_stealer exists as a stub: no description, YARA rules, aliases, actor attribution or additional references beyond the MalwareBazaar entry.
- Malpedia (Fraunhofer FKIE) recorded a MalwareBazaar (abuse.ch) sample, SHA256 2dda0c1d9f63287c19663780ba88e731b4530568a65d5886cfc6a416d805926e, under family win.warden_stealer.
- Threadlinqs research review found no published sample analysis, C2 domains/IPs, delivery chain or victim campaign for WARDEN; the only technical indicator is the single SHA256.
Sources cited for WARDENStealer (win.warden_stealer)
- Malpedia library entry: MalwareBazaar | SHA256 2dda0c1d9f63287c19663780ba88e731b4530568a65d5886cfc6a416d805926e (WARDENStealer)
- Malpedia family page: win.warden_stealer
- WARDEN Stealer: Claims, Cookie Theft Risk, and Removal (GridinSoft)
- New WARDEN Stealer Targets 330+ Apps and 200 Crypto Extensions on Windows (Cyberpress)
- WARDEN Stealer: Neue MaaS-Plattform stiehlt Passwoerter und Krypto (Born City)
- How to get rid of WARDEN Stealer (PCrisk)
Detection coverage for TL-2026-3342
As of 2026-10-12, Threadlinqs Intelligence publishes 9 detection rule(s) for TL-2026-3342 across Splunk SPL, Microsoft KQL and Sigma, covering 7 indicator(s) of compromise. The whole corpus is readable without an account; a free account unlocks full detection query text in Splunk SPL, Microsoft KQL and Sigma; paid tiers add raw indicator values, correlation and the MCP server. Threadlinqs MCP server · View plans.