March 19, 2025
Your Crypto Is at Risk; Here's How to Protect It
Dear Subscriber,
As crypto adoption grows and digital assets become more mainstream, so do the threats aimed at stealing them.
We haven’t even closed out the first quarter of 2025 and already we’ve seen a memecoin scam and a large-scale attack on a major centralized exchange.
And now, tech giant Microsoft has released a new security report that warns of even more potential danger.
But here’s the good news: You can protect yourself and your crypto.
In fact, today, I’m going to show you exactly how to do just that.
What is StilachiRAT?
Before we can talk defense, you have to understand how this latest attack works.
Published on March 17, Microsoft’s latest security report uncovered a sophisticated and highly targeted malware campaign named StilachiRAT, designed to steal cryptocurrency from unsuspecting users.
Related story: Watch Out for Pig Butchering Scams with 2 Key Steps
This malware is not just another basic phishing tool or run-of-the-mill virus. StilachiRAT is a multi-stage, advanced persistent threat (APT).
This virus starts with system reconnaissance … and ends with direct cryptocurrency theft from hot wallets and Google Chrome browser-based wallets like MetaMask and Trust Wallet.
This development is a serious wake-up call for crypto investors, traders and even casual users who store digital assets online.
The message? It’s time to take your crypto security seriously.
The Attack Chain, Step by Step
According to Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence team, the StilachiRAT attack chain follows a methodical structure with five key steps:
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Initial Entry: The malware often arrives through deceptive phishing emails disguised as legitimate financial services, crypto platforms or urgent security updates.
It can also be delivered via compromised websites or fake software installers (i.e., a browser extension masquerading as the legitimate wallet you want to download).
- System Reconnaissance: After infection, the malware silently scans the system for indicators of crypto usage. It looks for browser extensions like MetaMask and Trust Wallet, wallet files, saved passwords and even keystrokes.
- Data Exfiltration: Stolen data — which, depending on how much data you keep on your device, could include private keys, seed phrases, passwords and active session cookies — is transmitted to the attackers.
- Asset Theft: With all the credentials, attackers can quickly empty browser-based wallets, gain unauthorized access to crypto exchanges and move assets to controlled cold wallets.
- Persistence: As a final blow, the malware installs backdoors for long-term access and surveillance. This enables the attackers to continue to watch your activity and steal from you.
StilachiRAT's focus on stealth and its specific targeting of crypto assets make it particularly dangerous.
Rather than simply grabbing credentials and moving on, this malware has built-in intelligence to recognize crypto wallet extensions, local wallet databases and session tokens.
In essence, it turns infected devices into open vaults.
Moreover, it can bypass many of the typical security measures crypto users rely on.
Even if a user has strong passwords and two-factor authentication, StilachiRAT can capture active session tokens and cookies so the attackers can log in … without needing to verify anything.
Who Is a Target?
In short, if you have a software wallet, you could be a potential target.
Individual retail traders, crypto influencers and small institutional investors are at the highest risk, especially those who frequently use browser-based wallets or store credentials locally.
This is just the latest development in a larger cybersecurity trend: the shift from broad-based credential theft to highly targeted attacks on digital assets.
As crypto becomes more mainstream and its market cap swells into trillions of dollars, cybercriminals are investing time, money and expertise into building tools that directly attack the weak points of this ecosystem.
State-sponsored groups, professional hacker organizations and opportunistic cybercriminals are all pivoting toward crypto theft as a lucrative alternative to traditional financial crimes.
This makes it increasingly important for crypto users like us to harden our defenses. In short, we need to treat our digital assets with the same level of security as physical assets.
Microsoft’s analysis highlights that StilachiRAT specifically targets cryptocurrency wallet extensions for the Google Chrome browser by accessing and validating this registry key on the victim’s machine:
This is how the virus can see which wallets you have downloaded and added as browser extensions.
How to Protect Yourself
Given the complexity and sophistication of StilachiRAT, prevention is critical.
Here are key preventative measures you should always use when online in general and interacting with crypto especially.
- Never click suspicious links or open unexpected email attachments.
- Verify software downloads and only download directly from official websites.
- Update your operating system and antivirus software regularly.
- Clear cookies and browsing data regularly and log out of sensitive accounts when not in use.
- Use a password manager with encrypted local storage instead of saving passwords in your browser.
- Periodically scan your system for malware using reputable tools.
And when it comes to crypto, here are a few extra steps you can take to keep yourself safe.
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Avoid storing large sums of crypto in browser-based wallets or on exchanges unless absolutely necessary.
In fact, you may want to consider hardware wallets (Ledger, Trezor, etc.) for any significant or long-term crypto holdings.
You can read all about hardware wallets — also called “cold” wallets — here.
- Enable two-factor authentication, though keep in mind that session hijacking can bypass it.
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Regularly revoke dApp permission in your soft wallet.
Each time you connect your wallet to a decentralized application — like a DEX or lending protocol — you give it permission to access that account.
This connection can be a point of weakness for hackers, so be sure to remove permissions when not actively using a dApp. You can read how to do that for MetaMask here.
- NEVER store your wallet’s seed phrase on any device that can connect to the internet. It’s best to keep this information out of the digital realm entirely for maximum security.
Final Thoughts
Microsoft’s discovery of StilachiRAT should be a call to action for anyone involved in cryptocurrency.
If your funds live on an internet-connected device or a browser extension (like MetaMask), then your funds could be at risk.
The sophistication of this attack means even experienced users could fall victim.
But not all experienced users have the benefit of the Weiss Ratings crypto team.
We’re here not only to warn you the moment we see bad actors infiltrating the market …
We’ll also make sure you have the latest info on how to keep yourself and your crypto safe.
Now is the time to enact the preventative measures I outlined above. It’s time to review your security practices, remove unnecessary browser extensions and migrate to hardware wallets for long-term storage.
And don’t revert back to bad habits once this latest attack is behind us.
The only way to prevent falling for future attacks is to maintain constant vigilance against phishing attempts.
The crypto market may be built on innovation and decentralization, but security will always be its foundation.
If that foundation is weak, no bull market or technological breakthrough can protect your assets from theft.
So take this break in the bull market to sure up your defenses. That way, you can ride the next rally with confidence and security.
Best,
Mark Gough
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