ThreatFox: Venus Stealer IOCs

Hunt Hypothesis

This hunt hypothesis targets adversaries leveraging the Venus Stealer malware to exfiltrate critical assets like login credentials, browser cookies, and cryptocurrency wallet data through phishing vectors that connect to external command-and-control servers. A proactive search within Azure Sentinel is essential to identify early-stage infection indicators and prevent the compromise of sensitive financial and identity information before lateral movement or data loss occurs.

IOC Summary

Malware Family: Venus Stealer Total IOCs: 3 IOC Types: sha1_hash, md5_hash, sha256_hash

Type	Value	Threat Type	First Seen	Confidence
sha256_hash	`8abd6a3d21097d75fc4970cb1c202c7b30bc709cf2446a94a298e3020578942a`	payload	2026-08-21	95%
sha1_hash	`31c21965b3661caf899480e5a6bc1e5e411e4518`	payload	2026-08-21	95%
md5_hash	`cb470ad87c2982fd1d60b2fa6cbe637d`	payload	2026-08-21	95%

KQL: Hash Hunt

// Hunt for files matching known malicious hashes
// Source: ThreatFox - Venus Stealer
let malicious_hashes = dynamic(["8abd6a3d21097d75fc4970cb1c202c7b30bc709cf2446a94a298e3020578942a", "31c21965b3661caf899480e5a6bc1e5e411e4518", "cb470ad87c2982fd1d60b2fa6cbe637d"]);
DeviceFileEvents
| where SHA256 in (malicious_hashes) or SHA1 in (malicious_hashes) or MD5 in (malicious_hashes)
| project Timestamp, DeviceName, FileName, FolderPath, SHA256, InitiatingProcessFileName
| order by Timestamp desc

Required Data Sources

Sentinel Table	Notes
`DeviceFileEvents`	Ensure this data connector is enabled

References

ThreatFox — Venus Stealer

False Positive Guidance

Here are 5 specific false positive scenarios for the ThreatFox: Venus Stealer IOCs rule, along with suggested filters or exclusions tailored for an enterprise environment:

Scenario: Scheduled Browser Cookie Backup via Enterprise Management Tools
- Context: Administrators often use tools like Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM) or Jamf Pro to schedule automated backups of user browser profiles (including cookies and cached credentials) during off-hours. These jobs may initiate outbound connections to internal backup repositories that match the C2 IP ranges or domain patterns associated with Venus Stealer’s exfiltration logic.
- Suggested Filter: Create an exclusion for traffic originating from specific Service Accounts (e.g., svc-mecm-backup) connecting to known internal backup subnets during maintenance windows (e.g., 01:00–04:00 local time).
Scenario: Legitimate Phishing Simulation Campaigns
- Context: Security teams utilize platforms like KnowBe4, Proofpoint, or Coveware to conduct internal phishing simulations. These campaigns often deploy test emails containing tracking pixels and links that mimic the structure of real malicious payloads, triggering network traffic patterns identical to Venus Stealer’s initial delivery phase (phishing email arrival).
- Suggested Filter: Exclude alerts where the source user is part of a “Security Awareness” distribution group or where the email subject line contains specific simulation keywords (e.g., [SIMULATION], Test Campaign).
Scenario: Automated Cryptocurrency Wallet Synchronization
- Context: In organizations with crypto-trading desks or finance departments, employees use enterprise-approved wallets (e.g., Trust Wallet, MetaMask Enterprise) that perform scheduled synchronization of wallet states and transaction history. This process involves exfiltrating wallet data to external blockchain nodes, which can mimic the