December 3, 2019 By David Bisson 2 min read

A new Google Chrome password stealer called CStealer uses a remote MongoDB database to store the data it’s collected.

In its coverage of the Chrome password stealer, Bleeping Computer reported that CStealer’s data exfiltration technique diverts from similar malware. The threat did not compile a user’s login credentials stolen from Google Chrome’s password manager into a file and send it to a command-and-control (C&C) server. Instead, it arrived with hardcoded MongoDB credentials and leveraged the MongoDB C Driver to remotely connect and exfiltrate its stolen data to a database.

Bleeping Computer noted that this method effectively serves the purpose of exfiltrating stolen Chrome passwords. But the security firm observed that this data exfiltration technique brings additional risk to affected users’ data security. It attributed this risk to the fact that anyone ranging from law enforcement officers to secondary attackers can retrieve CStealer’s hardcoded credentials and use them to access the MongoDB database, thereby further exposing victims’ data.

A Look at Other Chrome Password Stealers

CStealer isn’t the only Chrome password stealer that’s attracted the attention of security researchers in recent years. Back in November 2017, Cofense discovered that the Vulture Stealer had paired the Banload banking Trojan with a secondary stealer to target victims’ Google Chrome data.

Less than a year later, Proofpoint detected a campaign in which the Vega Stealer attempted to steal the Chrome and Firefox data of employees. In August 2019, CyberArk Labs spotted a threat using a clever technique to evade detection while targeting user’s Google Chrome information.

How to Defend Against Threats Like CStealer

Security professionals can defend against threats like CStealer by building a modern identity and access management (IAM) program that supports security best practices as their organizations migrate more of their services to the cloud. Companies should also seek to use artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions and automated monitoring tools to improve their visibility of the network so that they can watch for behavior that could be indicative of a threat attempting to exfiltrate data.

More from

Cyberattack on American Water: A warning to critical infrastructure

3 min read - American Water, the largest publicly traded United States water and wastewater utility, recently experienced a cybersecurity incident that forced the company to disconnect key systems, including its customer billing platform. As the company’s investigation continues, there are growing concerns about the vulnerabilities that persist in the water sector, which has increasingly become a target for cyberattacks. The breach is a stark reminder of the critical infrastructure risks that have long plagued the industry. While the water utility has confirmed that…

What’s behind unchecked CVE proliferation, and what to do about it

4 min read - The volume of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) has reached staggering levels, placing immense pressure on organizations' cyber defenses. According to SecurityScorecard, there were 29,000 vulnerabilities recorded in 2023, and by mid-2024, nearly 27,500 had already been identified.Meanwhile, Coalition's 2024 Cyber Threat Index forecasts that the total number of CVEs for 2024 will hit 34,888—a 25% increase compared to the previous year. This upward trend presents a significant challenge for organizations trying to manage vulnerabilities and mitigate potential exploits.What’s behind…

Quishing: A growing threat hiding in plain sight

4 min read - Our mobile devices go everywhere we go, and we can use them for almost anything. For businesses, the accessibility of mobile devices has also made it easier to create more interactive ways to introduce new products and services while improving user experiences across different industries. Quick-response (QR) codes are a good example of this in action and help mobile devices quickly navigate to web pages or install new software by simply scanning an image.However, legitimate organizations aren’t the only ones…

Topic updates

Get email updates and stay ahead of the latest threats to the security landscape, thought leadership and research.
Subscribe today