A GitHub repository titled Windows-WiFi-Password-Stealer has surfaced, raising concerns among cybersecurity professionals.
This repository, hosted by the user, provides a Python-based script capable of extracting saved WiFi credentials from Windows systems and saving them to a text file.
While the repository claims to be for educational purposes, its potential misuse as a malicious tool cannot be ignored.
Stealer Malware Details
According to a cyberundergroundfeed post shared on X, the repository contains the following key files:
- Password Stealer.py: The main script that executes the credential extraction process.
- requirements.txt: A list of Python dependencies required to run the script.
- README.md: Documentation detailing installation and usage instructions.
The tool executes netsh wlan show profile, a legitimate network shell command to retrieve a list of Service Set Identifiers (SSIDs) associated with the system.
For each SSID, the tool then runs netsh wlan export profile, which generates XML files containing configuration details, including pre-shared keys (PSKs) in plaintext.
These XML files are temporarily stored in the system’s working directory, parsed by the Python script to isolate passwords, and subsequently deleted to evade detection.
This method capitalizes on Windows’ native handling of Wi-Fi credentials, which are stored in an encrypted format within the Credential Manager.
The tool’s simplicity and open-source nature lower the barrier for malicious use. Written in Python, it requires minimal dependencies and can be converted into a standalone executable using PyInstaller.
To use the tool, users are instructed to install dependencies with:
Additionally, the README provides instructions for converting the script into an executable using PyInstaller:
This functionality simplifies deployment, making it more accessible to non-technical users and increasing its potential for misuse. The GitHub repository provides clear instructions for compilation, enabling even novice users to generate payloads tailored to specific attack scenarios.
The public availability of such tools on platforms like GitHub poses significant risks. Malicious actors can easily repurpose the code for credential harvesting, facilitating unauthorized network access or lateral movement within compromised environments.
Organizations should also mandate multi-factor authentication for Wi-Fi access and regularly rotate PSKs to reduce the impact of credential leaks.
While the tool itself is not inherently malicious, its misuse highlights critical vulnerabilities in how operating systems handle sensitive credentials.
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