Description

WithSecure’s Threat Intelligence team has uncovered a sophisticated malware campaign in which the open-source password manager KeePass was trojanised to deliver Cobalt Strike payloads and steal sensitive credentials. This marks the first publicly documented case of a password manager being weaponized both as a malware loader and a credential harvesting tool, according to the report. The compromised installer, KeePass-2.56-Setup.exe, was distributed via malvertising campaigns using fake domains and search ads on Bing and DuckDuckGo. Despite being signed with valid certificates and mimicking legitimate KeePass behavior, the installer dropped malicious files, including KeePass.exe and ShInstUtil.exe, and established registry-based persistence. An encrypted payload disguised as a JPG (db.idx) was decrypted in memory and launched as a Cobalt Strike beacon. While KeePass appeared to function normally, it covertly logged and exported database credentials—including usernames, passwords, websites, and notes—to CSV-formatted .kp files stored in the local app data folder. The campaign infrastructure included fake KeePass domains such as keeppaswrd[.]com and keegass[.]com, and leveraged SSL certificates from providers like NameCheap to appear legitimate. The malware's behavior remained dormant until the user opened a password database. Attribution remains uncertain, but WithSecure identified overlaps with Cobalt Strike watermarks used by ransomware groups like Black Basta and BlackCat. A ransom note resembling Akira ransomware—with a new onionmail contact—suggests the actor may be a former Ransomware-as-a-Service affiliate attempting to operate independently. WithSecure warns that this campaign likely stems from a well-funded Initial Access Broker. Organizations are urged to verify installer hashes, avoid unofficial sources, and scrutinize application behavior—even for trusted software.