CharlieKirk Grabber Stealer Attacking Windows Systems to Exfiltrate Login Credentials

In Cybersecurity News - Original News Source is cybersecuritynews.com by Blog Writer

A new Python-based infostealer called CharlieKirk Grabber has been identified targeting Windows systems, with a focused goal of stealing stored login credentials, browser cookies, and session data.

The malware is built to work as a “smash-and-grab” threat — it launches quickly, collects whatever sensitive data it can find, and disappears before the user notices anything unusual.

The malware arrives as a Windows executable, packaged through a tool called PyInstaller, which bundles all its Python code into a single self-contained file that runs without requiring Python to be installed on the target machine.

It borrows its name and political imagery from Turning Point USA to exploit social engineering. The malware is typically delivered through phishing emails, cracked software packages, game cheat downloads, or social media-based lures.

Cyfirma researchers identified the malware and noted that it uses a builder-style structure, which makes it modular.

This means that whoever operates it can freely configure the command-and-control (C2) settings — such as a Discord webhook or a Telegram bot — and switch specific collection modules on or off before deploying the final executable.

Once active on a system, CharlieKirk Grabber profiles the host by collecting the username, hostname, hardware UUID, and the external IP address.

It forcibly kills running browser processes using the Windows TASKKILL tool, unlocking access to saved password databases.

The stolen data — covering passwords, cookies, autofill entries, browsing history, and Wi-Fi credentials — is then bundled into a ZIP archive and uploaded to the GoFile file-hosting platform.

CharlieKirk Grabber Stealer (Source – Cyfirma)

A download link is immediately sent to the attacker over HTTPS through either a Discord webhook or a Telegram bot, keeping all communications encrypted.

What makes this stealer particularly difficult to detect is its heavy use of legitimate Windows tools that are already part of every installation.

Instead of deploying suspicious third-party files, the malware uses NETSH.EXE to retrieve saved Wi-Fi passwords, SYSTEMINFO.EXE to map hardware and OS details, and PowerShell to silently add itself to Microsoft Defender’s exclusion list.

UAC elevation attempt (Source – Cyfirma)

This method, known as “living off the land,” lets malicious actions blend in with normal administrative behavior, helping it avoid signature-based detection.

Discord Token Theft and Account Validation (Source – Cyfirma)

Organizations should enforce Multi-Factor Authentication across all critical services and restrict browser-based password storage through enterprise policy.

Security teams should monitor for unusual browser process termination events, outbound HTTPS traffic to Discord, Telegram, or GoFile, and any PowerShell activity in user-writable directories.

Credential and File Extraction Activity (Source – Cyfirma)

Execution from temporary paths such as %TEMP% and %APPDATA% should be blocked using AppLocker or Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC).

Indicators of Compromise (IOC):-

Indicator Type Value
File Name CharlieKirk.exe
File Size 19.58 MB
File Type Executable (PE32)
MD5 598adf7491ff46f6b88d83841609b5cc
SHA-256 f56afcdfd07386ecc127aa237c1a045332e4cc5822a9bcc77994d8882f074dd1
First Seen in Wild February 2026
C2 Channel Discord Webhook / Telegram Bot API
Exfiltration Platform gofile.io

MITRE ATT&CK Mapping:-

Tactic Technique ID Technique
Discovery T1082 System Information Discovery
Discovery T1033 System Owner/User Discovery
Credential Access T1555.003 Credentials from Password Stores (Web Browsers)
Credential Access T1552.001 Unsecured Credentials: Credentials in Files
Collection T1560 Archive Collected Data
Defense Evasion T1202 Indirect Command Execution (LOLBins)
Defense Evasion T1562.001 Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Security Tools
Persistence T1053.005 Scheduled Task/Job: Scheduled Task
Privilege Escalation (Conditional) T1548.002 Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism (UAC)
Exfiltration T1041 Exfiltration Over C2 Channel
Exfiltration T1567.002 Exfiltration to Cloud Storage

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