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ADVANCED SECURITY EUROPA
EOODUnveiling the Dark Web: Inside the Rise of Infostealer Malware in 2026
17 August 2026Security researchers recorded a 27% increase in the number of devices infected with infostealer malware in the first half of 2026, with 7.4 million devices affected.
These malware variants harvested 1.7 billion credentials, making Vidar, StealC, and Lumma the most prolific ones.
The infostealer landscape has evolved into a fully automated threat ecosystem, allowing for autonomous credential processing and breach lifecycle redefinition.
Additionally, there was an 8% increase in vulnerability disclosures, with 19% accompanied by exploit code.
Flashpoint identified 239 actively exploited vulnerabilities, significantly more than the federal CISA list.
The rise of AI threats has influenced underground markets, with over 22 million posts related to malicious AI activity recorded.
Ransomware victims also saw a 45% increase, driven by automation and a mature ransomware-as-a-service ecosystem.
However, fewer organizations are choosing to pay extortion demands.
