GAMING TRAP: Acreed Infostealer Uses Steam Platform as Command-and-Control (C2) to Steal Sensitive Data

By CyberDudeBivash • September 29, 2025, 11:49 PM IST • Threat Intelligence Report

In the perpetual arms race between attackers and defenders, the latest front is the battle for legitimacy. We are now tracking a new, highly evasive information-stealing malware, dubbed **”Acreed,”** that is specifically targeting the global gaming community. While the malware’s payload is a potent credential harvester, its true innovation lies in its command-and-control (C2) mechanism. Acreed is using the **Steam platform itself** as its C2 channel, a sophisticated technique known as “Living Off the Trusted Service.” By hiding its malicious communications within the legitimate, encrypted traffic of the world’s largest gaming platform, it is bypassing firewalls and network-based detection with alarming ease. This is a critical threat to gamers, streamers, and game developers whose digital lives and livelihoods are tied to their Steam accounts. This is our deep-dive analysis of the threat and your defensive playbook.

Disclosure: This is a technical threat report for security-conscious gamers, developers, and security professionals. It contains our full suite of affiliate links to best-in-class solutions for a holistic security posture. Your support helps fund our independent research.

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Threat Report: Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Threat Analysis – What is Acreed and its Novel C2 Technique?

Acreed is a new information-stealing malware written in C++ that is specifically designed to target the wealth of sensitive data stored on a typical gamer’s PC.

What It Steals

**Steam Session Files:** Its primary target is the `ssfn` files in the Steam directory. Stealing these files allows an attacker to hijack a user’s authenticated Steam session, bypassing their password and even some forms of MFA.
**Browser Data:** Like other infostealers, it targets saved passwords, cookies, and credit card data from Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers.
**Cryptocurrency Wallets:** It searches for `wallet.dat` files and the data directories of popular browser-based wallets like MetaMask and Phantom.
**Discord & Telegram Tokens:** It steals the authentication tokens from the local data of these popular chat apps, allowing an attacker to take over the user’s accounts.

The C2 Innovation: Living Off the Trusted Service

The most sophisticated part of Acreed is how it communicates with its operator. Traditional malware calls home to an IP address or a domain name that can be identified and blocked. Acreed never does this.

Instead, it uses the **Steam platform itself as a dead drop and a communication channel.**

**Exfiltration:** After collecting the stolen data, Acreed encrypts and Base64-encodes it. It then uses the Steam API (leveraging the already logged-in user’s credentials) to upload this data to a seemingly benign location on the user’s own Steam profile, such as a profile showcase or a newly created, hidden group. To a firewall, this just looks like the user is customizing their profile.
**Commanding:** The attacker can post a new command for the malware (e.g., “search for more file types”) in the same hidden location. The malware periodically polls this location, downloads the new command, and executes it.

This “Living Off the Trusted Service” technique is incredibly evasive. It doesn’t require the attacker to maintain their own C2 infrastructure, and all malicious communication is hidden within the legitimate, encrypted TLS traffic of the Steam client, which is allowed through every firewall on the planet.

Chapter 2: The Kill Chain – From a Discord DM to a Drained Wallet

The infection vector for Acreed is classic social engineering, preying on the desires of the gaming community.

**The Lure:** The attack begins with a direct message on Discord or a comment on a Steam profile. The message contains a “too good to be true” offer:
- “Hey, I have an extra beta key for the new upcoming AAA game, you want it? Download the launcher here.”
- “Check out this new aimbot/mod for Valorant, it’s undetectable. Download link here.”
- “Vote for my team in this online tournament and get a free CS:GO knife skin!”
**The Payload:** The link leads to a file-sharing site like Mega or MediaFire, hosting a password-protected ZIP file. The password is provided in the initial message. This is a common trick to evade automated antivirus scanners. Inside the ZIP is a single executable file (e.g., `ValorantMod_Installer.exe`).
**The Infection:** The user, eager for the promised reward, runs the executable. A fake loading screen or a decoy application may appear, but in the background, the Acreed malware is installed.
**The Heist:** Within seconds, Acreed scrapes all the valuable data from the machine.
**The Exfiltration:** The malware connects to the Steam community API and uploads the stolen, encoded data to a hidden location on the user’s own profile.
**The Monetization:** The attacker is notified that a new victim’s data has been uploaded. They download the data, use the stolen `ssfn` file to hijack the victim’s valuable Steam account (and all its purchased games and skins), drain their crypto wallets, and sell the remaining passwords on the dark web.

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Chapter 3: The Defender’s Playbook – A Guide for Gamers and SOCs

Defending against this requires a multi-layered approach, focusing on user vigilance and modern security tools.

For Gamers: Your Personal Defense

Be Skeptical:** This is your #1 defense. If an offer seems too good to be true, it is a scam. Never download or run files, especially cheats or mods, from untrusted sources.
Secure Your Steam Account:**Enable **Steam Guard** using the mobile authenticator app. This is the single most important step to protect your account.Use a **long, unique, and complex password** for your Steam account.
Install a Gaming-Optimized Security Suite:** Traditional security software can sometimes slow down games, leading users to disable it. You need a modern solution designed for gamers.

CyberDudeBivash’s Recommended Gamer Security Stack:

To protect your high-performance gaming rig without sacrificing FPS, you need specialized tools.

Gaming Antivirus (Kaspersky):** The **Kaspersky Premium** suite includes a “Gaming Mode” that provides full protection while minimizing performance impact during gameplay.
Gaming VPN (TurboVPN):** A fast VPN like **TurboVPN** can help protect you from DDoS attacks from salty opponents and may in some cases improve your ping to international servers.

For Corporate SOC Teams

If you have developers or other employees who use Steam on their work machines, you must hunt for this threat.

**Hunt with EDR:** Your EDR is your primary tool. Hunt for anomalous behavior originating from `steam.exe` or other game processes. A game executable should never be spawning `powershell.exe` or attempting to read the data files of a web browser.
**Monitor Network Traffic:** While the C2 traffic is hidden in legitimate Steam API calls, a large, unexpected spike in data uploads to the Steam community domain from a single host could be an indicator of data exfiltration.

Chapter 4: The Strategic Response – Building a Resilient Professional Ecosystem

The gaming world is a massive economic and professional ecosystem. Securing it requires a holistic approach.

The Modern Professional’s Toolkit

For those who want to turn their passion for gaming and tech into a career.

The Skills (Edureka):** The gaming industry is desperate for skilled developers and cybersecurity professionals. A certified program in **Game Development or Ethical Hacking from Edureka** can turn your hobby into a high-paying profession.
Global Career Skills (YES Education Group):** Esports and game development are global. Strong **English skills** are essential for joining an international team or community.
For Indie Devs (Rewardful):** If you’re building your own indie game, a tool like **Rewardful** can help you launch an affiliate program to promote your game.

Financial & Lifestyle Resilience (A Note for Our Readers in India)

Professional gamers and streamers are earning serious money. It’s crucial to manage it securely.

Secure Digital Banking (Tata Neu):** Manage your earnings, sponsorships, and daily payments from a secure, unified platform like the **Tata Neu Super App**, and use a dedicated card like the **Tata Neu Credit Card** for all your online game and software purchases.
Premier Banking Security (HSBC):** For top-tier professionals, ensure your banking partner, like **HSBC Premier**, offers the robust security and global services your assets require.

Chapter 5: Extended FAQ on Gaming Malware

Q: I use a Mac/Linux for gaming. Am I safe?
A: While Acreed is currently targeting Windows, the same “Living Off the Trusted Service” technique could be applied to the macOS or Linux versions of the Steam client. No platform is immune, and the core advice—don’t download untrusted files—applies to everyone.

About the Author

CyberDudeBivash is a cybersecurity strategist and researcher with over 15 years of experience in threat intelligence and malware analysis. He provides strategic advisory services to CISOs and boards across the APAC region. [Last Updated: September 29, 2025]

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