Inside the Telegram Stealer Log: How Malware Harvested 9,539 Passwords

HEROIC analysts discovered a stealer log file uploaded to Telegram in August 2023, containing 9,539 records. The dataset, shared by an anonymous Telegram user, included email addresses, plaintext passwords, and URLs collected from devices infected with information-stealing malware. This type of data does not originate from a single hacked website. Instead, it is harvested directly from victims' devices, making it especially dangerous and difficult to trace.

Why This Is Dangerous

The passwords in this dataset were not encrypted or hashed. They were captured exactly as the user typed them, meaning any attacker who downloads this file has a working list of email and password combinations ready to deploy immediately. The URLs included in the log reveal which websites were active in the victim's browser at the time of infection, giving attackers a roadmap of where to try these credentials first. This combination of ready-to-use passwords and targeted site information makes stealer log data particularly valuable to cybercriminals.

What Was Exposed

• Email addresses
• Plaintext passwords
• URLs (captured browser session addresses)

Why This Matters

Credential stuffing attacks powered by stealer logs are among the most common causes of account takeover today. When criminals have your real email and real password, they do not need to guess or crack anything. They run automated tools that test those credentials across hundreds of websites simultaneously. If you use the same password on multiple accounts, a single stealer log infection can cascade into lost access to email, banking, social media, and more. Identity theft and financial fraud often follow within days of a credential set being put to use.

How Stealer Logs Work

Information-stealing malware is often hidden inside free software downloads, cracked games, pirated tools, or phishing email attachments. When a user opens the infected file, the malware installs silently and begins collecting data from the device. It targets saved passwords in browsers like Chrome and Firefox, session cookies, autofill data, and any credentials stored locally. The malware then compiles all of this into a log file and transmits it to the attacker. The attacker bundles these logs together and distributes them through criminal channels, including Telegram, which provides near-anonymous file sharing at scale. The user whose device was infected typically notices nothing until their accounts begin showing unauthorized activity.

Check If You Are Affected

HEROIC maintains a breach database of more than 400 billion compromised records, including stealer log files like this one distributed on Telegram. Our free breach scanner lets you search by email address to find out if your credentials are exposed. If they are, you will receive a clear report so you can change passwords and secure your accounts right away.