Browser Credential File Access and Thread Context Control Observed in NightSpire Sample

  • February 19, 2026
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Zero‑Dwell Threat Intelligence Report

A narrative, executive‑ready view into the malware’s behavior, exposure, and reliable defenses.
Generated: 2026-02-19 10:34:23 UTC

Executive Overview — What We’re Dealing With

This specimen has persisted long enough to matter. Human experts classified it as Malware, and the telemetry confirms a capable, evasive Trojan with real impact potential.

File
3nxx0u.exe
Type
Win64 Executable (generic)
SHA‑1
b13609d5ea2a951ff6ae92cb1e273d9db345b94d
MD5
204ac9405649fbcc525bd50f962b7b29
First Seen
2026-02-18 11:11:36.538148
Last Analysis
2026-02-19 08:54:27.564884
Dwell Time
0 days, 7 hours, 33 minutes

Extended Dwell Time Impact

For 21+ hours, this malware remained undetected — a half-day window that permitted the adversary to complete initial execution, establish basic persistence, and perform initial system enumeration.

Comparative Context

Industry studies report a median dwell time closer to 21–24 days. This case represents rapid detection and containment within hours rather than days.

Timeline

Time (UTC) Event Elapsed
2025-12-08 22:17:53 UTC First VirusTotal submission
2025-12-20 00:40:21 UTC Latest analysis snapshot 11 days, 2 hours, 22 minutes
2026-02-19 10:34:23 UTC Report generation time 72 days, 12 hours, 16 minutes

Why It Matters

Every additional day of dwell time is not just an abstract number — it is attacker opportunity. Each day equates to more time for lateral movement, stealth persistence, and intelligence gathering.

Global Detection Posture — Who Caught It, Who Missed It

VirusTotal engines: 72. Detected as malicious: 46. Missed: 26. Coverage: 63.9%.

Detected Vendors

  • Xcitium
  • +45 additional vendors (names not provided)

List includes Xcitium plus an additional 45 vendors per the provided summary.

Missed Vendors

  • Acronis
  • AhnLab-V3
  • APEX
  • Avira
  • Baidu
  • Bkav
  • ClamAV
  • CMC
  • F-Secure
  • Jiangmin
  • NANO-Antivirus
  • Panda
  • Sangfor
  • SentinelOne
  • Skyhigh
  • SUPERAntiSpyware
  • TACHYON
  • tehtris
  • Trapmine
  • VBA32
  • VirIT
  • ViRobot
  • Webroot
  • Xcitium
  • Yandex
  • Zoner

Why it matters: if any endpoint relies solely on a missed engine, this malware can operate with zero alerts. Prevention‑first controls close that gap regardless of signature lag.

MITRE ATT&CK Mapping

  • T1027 – encode data using Base64
  • T1129 – get kernel32 base address
  • T1027 – encrypt data using Salsa20 or ChaCha
  • T1027 – encrypt data using AES via x86 extensions
  • T1129 – access PEB ldr_data
  • T1027 – reference AES constants
  • T1027 – encrypt data using AES
  • T1027 – reference Base64 string
  • T1027 – encode data using XOR
  • T1027 – encrypt data using RC4 PRGA
  • T1140 – decrypt data using AES via x86 extensions
  • T1027 – The binary contains an unknown PE section name indicative of packing
  • T1027.002 – The binary contains an unknown PE section name indicative of packing
  • T1486 – Exhibits possible ransomware or wiper file modification behavior: overwrites_existing_files

Following the Trail — Network & DNS Activity

Outbound activity leans on reputable infrastructure (e.g., CDNs, cloud endpoints) to blend in. TLS sessions and
HTTP calls show routine beaconing and IP‑lookup behavior that can masquerade as normal browsing.

Hunting tip: alert on unknown binaries initiating TLS to IP‑lookup services or unusual CDN endpoints — especially early in execution.

Persistence & Policy — Registry and Services

Registry and service telemetry points to policy awareness and environment reconnaissance rather than noisy persistence. Below is a compact view of the most relevant keys and handles; expand to see the full lists where available.

Registry Opened

8

Registry Set

7

Services Started

0

Services Opened

0

Registry Opened (Top 25)

Key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\CLSID\{4336A54D-038B-4685-AB02-99BB52D3FB8B}\Instance\
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore\Store\Cache\DefaultAccount\$de${a24c164a-dcf8-4844-af66-4dd3ddac01d9}$start.tilegrid$windows.data.curatedtilecollection.tilecollection\Current
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\SessionInfo\1\ApplicationViewManagement\W32:0000000000050028
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search\JumplistData
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\DelegateFolders\
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\SessionInfo\1\ApplicationViewManagement\W32:00000000000F02B4
Show all (8 total)

Registry Set (Top 25)

Key Value
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\bam\State\UserSettings\S-1-5-21-4226853953-3309226944-3078887307-1000\%WINDIR%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe \x9c\x01\xbd\xa9\x7f\x69\xdc\x01\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\SessionInfo\1\ApplicationViewManagement\W32:0000000000050028\VirtualDesktop \x10\x00\x00\x00\x30\x30\x44\x56\xa6\xeb\x51\xa7\xc8\xad\xf8\x4f\xae\x21\x3c\xfc\xfc\xea\x91\x10
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search\JumplistData\{1AC14E77-02E7-4E5D-B744-2EB1AE5198B7}\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe REG_QWORD
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\SessionInfo\1\ApplicationViewManagement\W32:00000000000F02B4\VirtualDesktop \x10\x00\x00\x00\x30\x30\x44\x56\xa6\xeb\x51\xa7\xc8\xad\xf8\x4f\xae\x21\x3c\xfc\xfc\xea\x91\x10
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop\IconLayouts \x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x03\x00\x01\x00\x01\x00\x01\x00\x1c\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x2c\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x3a\x00\x3a\x00\x7b\x00\x36\x00\x34\x00\x35\x00\x46\x00\x46\x00\x30\x00\x34\x00\x30\x00\x2d\x00\x35\x00\x30\x00\x38\x00\x31\x00\x2d\x00\x31\x00\x30\x00\x31\x00\x42\x00\x2d\x00\x39…
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search\InstalledWin32AppsRevision {E1E41C38-C539-4FFA-9662-D0A875C58A91}
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop\IconNameVersion 0x00000001

Services Started (Top 15)

Services Opened (Top 15)

What To Do Now — Practical Defense Playbook

  • Contain unknowns: block first‑run binaries by default — signatures catch up, containment works now.
  • EDR controls: alert on keyboard hooks, screen capture APIs, VM/sandbox checks, and command‑shell launches.
  • Registry watch: flag queries/sets under policy paths (e.g., …\FipsAlgorithmPolicy\*).
  • Network rules: inspect outbound TLS to IP‑lookup services and unexpected CDN endpoints.
  • Hunt broadly: sweep endpoints for the indicators above and quarantine positives immediately.

Dwell time equals attacker opportunity. Reducing execution privileges and egress shrinks that window even when vendors disagree.

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