Growing Number of Stolen Game and Platform Credentials on the Darknet

According to a Kaspersky analysis, more than 34 million stolen Roblox account credentials can be found on the darknet. There has also been a 112 percent increase in attacks on gaming platforms such as Twitch, while tens of thousands of Steam accounts are being traded on the darknet.

According to Kaspersky's analysis of infostealer attacks between 2021 and 2023, an increasing number of stolen account or login credentials from online games or gaming platforms are being offered for sale on the darknet. Roblox was a top target for cybercriminals, with nearly 34 million stolen credentials discovered using Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence. Compromised Steam accounts were also traded in around 10,000 darknet posts.

Between 2021 and 2023, nearly 34 million Roblox credentials were stolen and published on the darknet. In total, the number increased by 231 percent from around 4.7 million in 2021 to 15.5 million in 2023. In total, data leaks from eleven popular games or gaming platforms such as Twitch, Electronic Arts, Sony PlayStation and Steam increased by 112 percent over the three years.

"The high number of stolen Roblox accounts can be explained by the fact that cybercriminals like to target children because they are very susceptible to various types of social engineering. To trick young players, cybercriminals hide information stealers in cheat code files, for example. As some malicious download links are also shared on popular social media platforms such as YouTube, they appear more credible. As a result, numerous compromised accounts of a game aimed at children have surfaced," explains Yuliya Novikova, Head of Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence. "The compromised credentials come from Infostealers, a special type of malware that steals user credentials for cyberattacks, darknet sales or other malicious activities. Infostealers can infect corporate and personal devices through phishing emails, web pages and public websites with malicious content. Effective security solutions that protect against infostealer attacks and other malware are becoming increasingly important for individuals and businesses."

Among the most popular credentials traded on the darknet are Steam accounts, which were offered or requested in around 10,000 darknet posts between 2021 and 2023. Roblox accounts, on the other hand, were traded in less than 150 posts.

"Cybercriminals target gaming accounts to steal valuable items such as real money, in-game currency and various in-game items such as expensive skins. Steam accounts appear to be attractive to cybercriminals because they can be used to steal real money. Roblox accounts, on the other hand, can be misused to steal the in-game currency Robux or in-game items, or to gain access to premium accounts that can be used to transfer items to other accounts. While users should always be vigilant, platform operators can also improve their protection by using specialised services to track and quickly block compromised accounts," adds Yuliya Novikova.

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