Infostealers Turn Millions of Devices Into Credential Theft Machines
Hackers no longer force open the side-window when infostealers can give them a key to the front door.
Infostealers have become the primary source of stolen credentials for attackers. Using these credentials is now a favored route for bad actors to access a target effectively as an invited guest. It is quicker, easier, less visible and more effective than forcing an entry.
More than 11.1 million devices were infected with infostealers in 2025, reports Flashpoint. More than 3.3 billion credentials, browser artifacts, session information and other forms of identity are now circulating in illicit marketplaces. These don’t simply provide entry to a target, they often provide authorized access to valuable data undisturbed by security defenses within the target.
Flashpoint has found more than 30 unique strains of infostealer (from hereon referred to as ‘stealers’). The precise number of ‘individual’ stealers is difficult (and probably meaningless) to quantify – the marketplace...
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