Suspicious File Access to Browser Credential Storage (via file_access)

title: Suspicious File Access to Browser Credential Storage (via file_access)
id: 8a5ca0b0-1c97-5a6e-8399-d9bf00510a92
status: stable
description: This rule detects file access to browser credential storage paths by non-browser processes, which may indicate credential access attempts. Adversaries may attempt to access browser credential storage to extract sensitive information such as usernames and passwords or cookies. This behavior is frequently frequently observed in credential stealing malware.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1217/
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1555/003/
    - https://github.com/splunk/security_content/blob/7283ba3723551f46b69dfeb23a63b358afb2cb0e/lookups/browser_app_list.csv?plain=1
    - https://fourcore.io/blogs/threat-hunting-browser-credential-stealing
author: Huntrule Team
date: 2026-07-22
tags:
    - attack.credential-access
    - attack.t1555.003
    - attack.discovery
    - attack.t1217
logsource:
    category: file_access
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_browser_paths:
        FileName|contains:
            - '\Sputnik\Sputnik'
            - '\MapleStudio\ChromePlus'
            - '\QIP Surf'
            - '\BlackHawk'
            - '\7Star\7Star'
            - '\CatalinaGroup\Citrio'
            - '\Google\Chrome'
            - '\Coowon\Coowon'
            - '\CocCoc\Browser'
            - '\uCozMedia\Uran'
            - '\Tencent\QQBrowser'
            - '\Orbitum'
            - '\Slimjet'
            - '\Iridium'
            - '\Vivaldi'
            - '\Chromium'
            - '\GhostBrowser'
            - '\CentBrowser'
            - '\Xvast'
            - '\Chedot'
            - '\SuperBird'
            - '\360Browser\Browser'
            - '\360Chrome\Chrome'
            - '\Comodo\Dragon'
            - '\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser'
            - '\Torch'
            - '\UCBrowser\'
            - '\Blisk'
            - '\Epic Privacy Browser'
            - '\Nichrome'
            - '\Amigo'
            - '\Kometa'
            - '\Xpom'
            - '\Microsoft\Edge'
            - '\Liebao7Default\EncryptedStorage'
            - '\AVAST Software\Browser'
            - '\Kinza'
            - '\Mozilla\SeaMonkey\'
            - '\Comodo\IceDragon\'
            - '\8pecxstudios\Cyberfox\'
            - '\FlashPeak\SlimBrowser\'
            - '\Moonchild Productions\Pale Moon\'
    selection_browser_subpaths:
        FileName|contains:
            - '\Profiles\'
            - '\User Data'
    selection_cred_files:
        - FileName|contains:
              - '\Login Data'
              - '\Cookies'
              - '\EncryptedStorage'
              - '\WebCache\'
        - FileName|endswith:
              - 'cert9.db'
              - 'cookies.sqlite'
              - 'formhistory.sqlite'
              - 'key3.db'
              - 'key4.db'
              - 'Login Data.sqlite'
              - 'logins.json'
              - 'places.sqlite'
    filter_main_img:
        Image|endswith:
            - '\Sputnik.exe'
            - '\ChromePlus.exe'
            - '\QIP Surf.exe'
            - '\BlackHawk.exe'
            - '\7Star.exe'
            - '\Sleipnir5.exe'
            - '\Citrio.exe'
            - '\Chrome SxS.exe'
            - '\Chrome.exe'
            - '\Coowon.exe'
            - '\CocCocBrowser.exe'
            - '\Uran.exe'
            - '\QQBrowser.exe'
            - '\Orbitum.exe'
            - '\Slimjet.exe'
            - '\Iridium.exe'
            - '\Vivaldi.exe'
            - '\Chromium.exe'
            - '\GhostBrowser.exe'
            - '\CentBrowser.exe'
            - '\Xvast.exe'
            - '\Chedot.exe'
            - '\SuperBird.exe'
            - '\360Browser.exe'
            - '\360Chrome.exe'
            - '\dragon.exe'
            - '\brave.exe'
            - '\torch.exe'
            - '\UCBrowser.exe'
            - '\BliskBrowser.exe'
            - '\Epic Privacy Browser.exe'
            - '\nichrome.exe'
            - '\AmigoBrowser.exe'
            - '\KometaBrowser.exe'
            - '\XpomBrowser.exe'
            - '\msedge.exe'
            - '\LiebaoBrowser.exe'
            - '\AvastBrowser.exe'
            - '\Kinza.exe'
            - '\seamonkey.exe'
            - '\icedragon.exe'
            - '\cyberfox.exe'
            - '\SlimBrowser.exe'
            - '\palemoon.exe'
    filter_main_path:
        Image|contains:
            - '\Sputnik\'
            - '\MapleStudio\'
            - '\QIP Surf\'
            - '\BlackHawk\'
            - '\7Star\'
            - '\Fenrir Inc\'
            - '\CatalinaGroup\'
            - '\Google\'
            - '\Coowon\'
            - '\CocCoc\'
            - '\uCozMedia\'
            - '\Tencent\'
            - '\Orbitum\'
            - '\Slimjet\'
            - '\Iridium\'
            - '\Vivaldi\'
            - '\Chromium\'
            - '\GhostBrowser\'
            - '\CentBrowser\'
            - '\Xvast\'
            - '\Chedot\'
            - '\SuperBird\'
            - '\360Browser\'
            - '\360Chrome\'
            - '\Comodo\'
            - '\BraveSoftware\'
            - '\Torch\'
            - '\UCBrowser\'
            - '\Blisk\'
            - '\Epic Privacy Browser\'
            - '\Nichrome\'
            - '\Amigo\'
            - '\Kometa\'
            - '\Xpom\'
            - '\Microsoft\'
            - '\Liebao7\'
            - '\AVAST Software\'
            - '\Kinza\'
            - '\Mozilla\'
            - '\8pecxstudios\'
            - '\FlashPeak\'
            - '\Moonchild Productions\'
    filter_main_system:
        Image: System
        ParentImage: Idle
    filter_main_generic:
        Image|startswith:
            - 'C:\Program Files\'
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\'
            - 'C:\Windows\System32\'
            - 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\'
    filter_optional_defender:
        Image|contains: '\Microsoft\Windows Defender\'
        Image|endswith:
            - '\MpCopyAccelerator.exe'
            - '\MsMpEng.exe'
    filter_optional_thor:
        Image|endswith:
            - '\thor.exe'
            - '\thor64.exe'
    filter_optional_msiexec:
        ParentImage: 'C:\Windows\System32\msiexec.exe'
    filter_optional_other:
        Image|endswith: '\everything.exe'
    condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: low