{"id":88967,"date":"2018-05-21T10:42:39","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T17:42:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=88967"},"modified":"2025-08-30T03:45:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T10:45:17","slug":"vega-stealer-malware-chrome-and-firefox-browsers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/vega-stealer-malware-chrome-and-firefox-browsers\/","title":{"rendered":"Vega Stealer Malware Swoops Financial Data Straight from Chrome and Firefox Browsers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many internet users today store financial and personal data within a browser so that it auto-populates anytime they encounter a fill form. That way, they can save themselves the time they would normally spend typing their information into a website when wishing to make a purchase or take an action online. It\u2019s convenient and easy, but also a security risk. This especially the case due to the emergence of\u00a0Vega\u00a0Stealer, a\u00a0malware\u00a0strain\u00a0aiming to capitalize<\/a>\u00a0on that very short cut, and is designed to harvest saved financial data from Google Chrome and Firefox browsers.<\/p>\n

Vega Stealer makes its way through the web through a common cybercriminal tactic \u2013 phishing emails. Once it spreads via these nasty notes, Vega swoops<\/a> personal information that has been saved in Google Chrome, including passwords, saved credit cards, profiles, and cookies. Mind you, Firefox also has a target on its back, as the malware harvests specific files that store various passwords and keys when Firefox in use. But Vega Stealer doesn\u2019t stop there, it also takes a screenshot of the infected machine and scans for any files on the system ending in .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .xls, .xlsx, or .pdf.<\/p>\n

Tips to Protect Yourself From Malware Strain<\/h2>\n

As of now, it has not been determined who exactly is behind these browser attacks (though the strain seems to be related to August Stealer malware), but we do know one thing for sure: \u00a0Vega is quite the thief. The good news is \u2013 there are many ways you can protect yourself from the nasty malware strain. Start by following these tips:<\/p>\n