blender

News outlets recently reported that a threat actor was spreading an infostealer through free 3D model files for the Blender software. This is troubling enough on its own, but it highlights an even more serious problem: the business threat posed by free open source programs, uncontrolled by corporate infosec teams. And the danger comes not from vulnerabilities in the software, but from its very own standard features. Why Blender and 3D model marketplaces pose a risk Blender is a 3D graphics and animation suite used by visualization professionals across various industries. The software is free and open-source, and offers extensive functionality. Among Blender’s capabilities is support for executing Python scripts, which are used to automate tasks and add new features. The package allows users to import external files from specialized marketplaces like CGTrader or Sketchfab. These platforms host both paid and free 3D models by artists and studios. Any of these model files potentially contain Python scripts. This creates a concerning scenario: marketplaces where files can be uploaded by any user and may not be scanned for malicious content, combined with software that has an Auto Run Python Scripts feature. It allows files to automatically execute embedded Python scripts immediately upon opening — essentially running arbitrary code on the user’s computer in unattended mode. How the StealC V2 infostealer spread via Blender files The attackers posted free 3D models with the .blend file name extension on the popular CGTrader platform. These files contained a malicious Python script. If the user had the Auto Run Python Scripts feature enabled, downloading and opening the file in Blender triggered the script. It then established a connection to a remote server and downloaded a malware loader from the Cloudflare Workers domain. The loader executed a PowerShell script, which in turn downloaded additional malicious payloads from the attackers’ servers. Ultimately, the victim’s computer was infected with the StealC infostealer, enabling the attackers to: Extract data from over 23 browsers. Harvest information from more than 100 browser extensions and 15 crypto wallet applications. Steal data from Telegram, Discord, Tox, Pidgin, ProtonVPN, OpenVPN, and email clients like Thunderbird. Use a User Account Control (UAC) bypass. The danger of unmonitored work tools The problem isn’t Blender itself — threat actors will inevitably try to exploit automation features in any popular software. Most end-users don’t consider the risks of enabling common automation features, nor do they typically dive deep into how these features work or how they could be exploited. The core issue is that security teams aren’t always familiar with the capabilities of specialized tools used by various departments. They simply don’t account for this vector in their threat models. How to avoid becoming a victim If your company uses Blender, the first step is to disable the automatic execution of Python scripts (Auto Run Python Scripts feature). Here’s how to do it according to official documentation. Furthermore, to prevent the sudden spread of threats via work tools, we recommend that corporate security teams: Prohibit the use of tools and extensions that haven’t been approved by the security team. Thoroughly vet permitted software, and assess risks before implementing any new services or platforms. Regularly train employees to recognize the risks associated with installing unknown software and using dangerous features. You can automate security awareness training with the Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform. Enforce the use of secure configurations for all work tools. Protect all company-issued devices with modern security solutions.

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Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new campaign that has leveraged Blender Foundation files to deliver an information stealer known as StealC V2. "This ongoing operation, active for at least six months, involves implanting malicious .blend files on platforms like CGTrader," Morphisec researcher Shmuel Uzan said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "Users unknowingly download these 3D model files, which are designed to execute embedded Python scripts upon opening in Blender -- a free, open-source 3D creation suite." The cybersecurity company said the activity shares similarities with a prior campaign linked to Russian-speaking threat actors that involved impersonating the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) to target the online gaming community and infect them with StealC and Pyramid C2. This assessment is based on tactical similarities in both campaigns, including using decoy documents, evasive techniques, and background execution of malware. The latest set of attacks abuses the ability to embed Python scripts in .blend files like character rigs that are automatically executed when they are opened in scenarios where the Auto Run option is enabled. This behavior can be dangerous as it opens the door to the execution of arbitrary Python scripts. The security risk has been acknowledged by Blender in its own documentation, which states: "The ability to include Python scripts within blend-files is valuable for advanced tasks such as rigging and automation. However, it poses a security risk since Python does not restrict what a script can do." The attack chains essentially involve uploading malicious .blend files to free 3D asset sites such as CGTrader containing a malicious "Rig_Ui.py" script, which is executed as soon as they are opened with Blender's Auto Run feature enabled. This, in turn, fetches a PowerShell script to download two ZIP archives. While one of the ZIP files contains a payload for StealC V2, the second archive deploys a secondary Python-based stealer on the compromised host. The updated version of StealC, first announced in late April 2025, supports a wide range of information gathering features, allowing data to be extracted from 23 browsers, 100 web plugins and extensions, 15 cryptocurrency wallet apps, messaging services, VPNs, and email clients. "Keep Auto Run disabled unless the file source is trusted," Morphisec said. "Attackers exploit Blender that typically runs on physical machines with GPUs, bypassing sandboxes and virtual environments."

A Russian-linked campaign delivers the StealC V2 information stealer malware through malicious Blender files uploaded to 3D model marketplaces like CGTrader. Blender is a powerful open-source 3D creation suite that can execute Python scripts for automation, custom user interface panels, add-ons, rendering processes, rigging tools, and pipeline integration. If the Auto Run feature is enabled, when a user opens a character rig, a Python script can automatically load the facial controls and custom UI panels with the required buttons and sliders. Despite the potential for abuse, users often activate the Auto Run option for convenience. Researchers at cybersecurity company Morphisec observed attacks using malicious .blend files with embedded Python code that fetches a malware loader from a Cloudflare Workers domain. The loader then fetches a PowerShell script that retrieves two ZIP archives, ZalypaGyliveraV1 and BLENDERX, from attacker-controlled IPs. The archives unpack into the %TEMP% folder and drop LNK files in the Startup directory for persistence. Next, they deploy two payloads, the StealC infostealer and an auxiliary Python stealer, likely used for redundancy. Morphisec researchers report that the StealC malware used in this campaign was the latest variant of the second major version of the malware that was analyzed by Zscaler researchers earlier this year. The latest StealC has expanded its data-stealing capabilities and supports exfiltration from: 23+ browsers, with server-side credential decryption and compatibility with Chrome 132+ 100+ cryptocurrency wallet browser extensions and 15+ cryptocurrency wallet apps Telegram, Discord, Tox, Pidgin, VPN clients (ProtonVPN, OpenVPN), and mail clients (Thunderbird) Updated UAC bypass mechanism Despite the malware being documented since 2023, subsequent releases appear to remain elusive for anti-virus products. Morphisec comments that no security engine on VirusTotal detected the StealC variant they analyzed. Given that 3D model marketplaces cannot scrutinize the code in user-submitted files, Blender users are advised to exercise caution when using files sourced from such platforms and should consider disabling the auto-execution of code. You can do this from Blender > Edit > Preferences > uncheck the 'Auto Run Python Scripts' option. 3D assets should be treated like executable files, and users should only trust publishers with a proven record. For everything else, it is recommended to use sandboxed environments for testing. Overall prevention scores can hide what happens after initial access. Once attackers are using valid credentials, prevention drops sharply. The Blue Report 2026 measures defenses technique by technique across 338 million simulations run in customer production environments. Get the report

A new operation embedding StealC V2 inside Blender project files has been observed targeting victims for at least six months. According to a new advisory by Morphisec, the attackers placed manipulated .blend files on platforms such as CGTrader, where users downloaded them as routine 3D assets. When opened with Blender’s Auto Run feature enabled, the files executed concealed Python scripts that launched a multistage infection. StealC V2 Expands Reach Through Weaponized Blender Assets The research, published today, connects this activity to Russian-speaking threat actors previously associated with StealC distribution. The campaign mirrors an earlier effort that impersonated the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) to target Albion Online players, sharing elements such as decoy content, background execution and Pyramid C2 infrastructure. The infection chain began with a tampered Rig_Ui.py script embedded inside the .blend file. This script fetched a loader from a remote workers.dev domain, which then downloaded a PowerShell stage and two ZIP archives containing Python-based stealers. Once extracted into the Windows temp directory, the malware created LNK files to secure persistence, then used Pyramid C2 channels to retrieve encrypted payloads. StealC V2, promoted on underground forums since April 2025, has rapidly expanded its feature set. It now targets more than 23 browsers, over 100 plugins, more than 15 desktop wallets, and a range of messaging, VPN and mail clients. Its pricing, from $200 per month to $800 for 6 months, has made it accessible to low-tier cybercriminals seeking ready-to-use tools. Attribution and Indicators of Compromise Several indicators of compromise (IoCs) surfaced during the investigation, including: Malicious .blend files hosted on CGTrader Payload retrieval through multiple workers.dev domains ZIP archives containing Python stealers and persistence components Command-and-control (C2) communication across several Pyramid-linked IPs Morphisec attributes its early blocking of this campaign to its deception-based protection platform. By injecting decoy credentials into memory and browser storage, the system triggers prevention when StealC attempts to access them. Processes are terminated before exfiltration or persistence can occur. The researchers say this approach transforms credential theft attempts into failures, stopping StealC V2 long before it can gain a foothold on an endpoint.