{
  "family": "netpass",
  "sample_count": 9,
  "category": "trojan",
  "description": "HackTool:Win32/Netpass is a heuristic detection applied to the legitimate NirSoft utility 'Network Password Recovery' (`netpass.exe`), as well as modified variants of it. This tool is designed to recover all network passwords stored on the local system by the current logged-on user (including saved Wi-Fi keys, RDP credentials, and Outlook Exchange passwords). While it has legitimate administrative uses, threat actors and malware heavily abuse it during the post-exploitation phase to quickly harvest local credentials for lateral movement.<br><br><b>Understanding Netpass Abuse</b><br>To a standard user, Netpass is invisible; it is a command-line utility. For a security analyst, the execution of `netpass.exe` (or a renamed variant) by a standard user account is a massive red flag. It indicates that an attacker has gained a foothold on the endpoint and is actively dumping the Windows Credential Manager to find passwords that will allow them to pivot to other machines or servers on the domain.<br><br><b>Execution and Credential Harvesting Mechanics</b><br>Netpass is typically dropped onto the system by an Initial Access Broker trojan or manually copied by an attacker after establishing a reverse shell (`T1105`). The attacker executes the tool (`T1204.002`), often using command-line arguments to silently output the results to a text file (e.g., `netpass.exe /scomma %temp%\\creds.csv`) (`T1059.004`). The tool queries the Windows Data Protection API (DPAPI) and the Credential Manager (`T1003`) to extract plaintext passwords that the user has opted to 'Save' or 'Remember'. The attacker then exfiltrates the resulting text file via their C2 channel.<br><br><b>Indicators of Compromise & Impact</b><br>The impact is the total compromise of all saved network credentials for that user profile, significantly accelerating lateral movement within the enterprise. The primary IoC is an EDR alert for the execution of a file matching the hash or metadata of the NirSoft Netpass utility, especially if executed from a temporary directory (`%Temp%` or `C:\\PerfLogs`). Analysts should look for command-line arguments involving silent execution (`/scomma`, `/stext`) targeting text files.",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.",
  "aliases": [],
  "enrichment_level": "expert-seo",
  "faq": [],
  "faq_count": 0,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1555",
    "T1105",
    "T1003",
    "T1059.004"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-06-09",
  "mitre_attack_detail": [
    {
      "id": "T1003",
      "name": "OS Credential Dumping (Querying Windows Credential Manager)",
      "tactic": "Credential Access"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1555",
      "name": "Credentials from Password Stores",
      "tactic": "Credential Access"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1059.004",
      "name": "Command and Scripting Interpreter (Command-line execution)",
      "tactic": "Execution"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1105",
      "name": "Ingress Tool Transfer",
      "tactic": "Command and Control"
    }
  ],
  "containment_steps": [
    "Isolate the endpoint immediately; active credential dumping means an attacker is currently operating on the machine and attempting to move laterally.",
    "Assume all passwords stored in the Windows Credential Manager (RDP, network shares, Outlook) are compromised. Enforce an immediate password reset for the affected user account.",
    "Investigate EDR logs to determine *how* the Netpass utility was dropped onto the machine to identify the initial entry vector (e.g., a reverse shell or a dropper trojan).",
    "Hunt across the enterprise for the specific hash of the Netpass utility to ensure the attacker hasn't copied it to other machines."
  ],
  "what_to_avoid": [
    "Do not assume the execution was legitimate administrative activity without explicitly verifying with the IT team; attackers frequently rename these tools to blend in.",
    "Avoid closing the incident simply by deleting the tool; the passwords have already been extracted and exfiltrated."
  ],
  "target_industries": [
    "Global / Opportunistic"
  ],
  "motivation": "Opportunistic",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ]
}