• Posted by: Eng. Donya Bino
• February 05, 2026

How Tornado Malware Spreads in the Wild

Tornado (also known as Tornado Stealer, TornadoRAT, and other name variations such as Rhino Stealer variants) has emerged in the last couple of years as a very successful and frequently distributed information-stealer malware family. It became well-known during late 2024 and early 2025, and continues to be active through 2025-2026.

Because Tornado is relatively inexpensive to purchase from underground discussion boards (between $50-$200 for lifetime or monthly subscriptions), it is widely used by lower-tier to middle-tier cybercriminals because of its ease of use, ability to effectively steal account credentials and cookies (as well as cryptocurrency wallets), and ability to avoid detection from many antivirus programs.

Distribution and Spread of Tornado 
1) Fake software and cracked apps (the most frequently used method of distribution):
a) Commonly, the developer releases applications on "free" download sites, such as Discord, Telegram, etc. The developer uploads the app under various fake names, such as "Fortnite Skin Generator," "Spotify Premium Cracked," "ChatGPT Desktop App Free," "Valorant Aimbot/Cheat," and "Adobe Photoshop 2025 Full Crack."
b) A victim will proceed to download the app, and once they have installed the application, Tornado will be installed silently along with the application they were promised.

2) Phishing websites and drive-by downloads.
a) Users may be led to phishing websites or drive-by downloads after clicking on a malicious Google Ad or by selecting a poisoned SEO search link that may lead them to a phishing login site or via a "download now" button. Once they have clicked on this link, they will be presented with a .exe file download (Tornado payload).
b) It is common for these phishing websites to use ClickFix-type pages, such as "Your browser is out of date. Please press Windows key + R, then paste this code to update."

3) Spam bots and groups in Discord or Telegram:
a) Bots will automatically join groups on Telegram or Discord that are focused on "free software," gaming, crypto, trading, etc. They will then post fraudulent messages, such as "Best free cheat 2025 [link to download]" or "Free accounts for Netflix [link to download]" or "Free accounts for Robux [link to download]."
b) All of the links provided lead to Tornado droppers.

4) Comment spamming and fake tutorials on YouTube or TikTok:
a) There are many instances of bots posting automated comments underneath cheat, game, or tutorial videos on the platforms (i.e., "This worked for me [link to download].").
b) In addition, there are many fake "how-to" videos on YouTube and TikTok for gaming, including videos showing users how to obtain free Nitro, Robux, and Spotify without having to pay for them.

5)  Chain Letters Via Email / WhatsApp Forwarding:
a) Sample phishing messages include "Your shipment is stuck at the shipping facility, please download the tracking app [link]" and "You can get a free Netflix code by following this link [link]".
b) This method is effective, especially where there is a lot of [WhatsApp] file-sharing usage in that area.

Infected Chain of Events (Step By Step)
1. Clicking on a phishing link or downloading a fake application.
2. Loader dropped (usually a small .NET or C# executable).
3. Loader downloads the main Tornado payload (usually encrypted/obfuscated .exe or .dll).
4. Injects itself into a legitimate process (e.g., explorer.exe, web browser) or acts as a scheduled task.
5. Steals the following: browser cookies and sessions, saved passwords and passwords from crypto wallets (Exodus and MetaMask), Telegram and Discord sessions, screenshots, and the clipboard, and so on.
6. Exfiltrates through a Telegram channel, Discord webhook or FTP server controlled by the attacker.

Real-World Impact Examples (Observed Patterns)
1. Gaming community campaigns, Thousands of “free cheat” downloads → Tornado steals Discord/Steam accounts → attackers sell or use them for further spam/scams.
2. Fake AI Tool Wave, "ChatGPT Desktop Free" or "Gemini Pro Crack" dropper - steal sessions from browsers; attackers drain all linked PayPal & crypto accounts. 
3. Job-Seeker Phishing, Fake "Remote Job Application Tool" - utilizes Tornado to steal CVs and personally identifiable information; data is used for identity theft; or, used to recruit money mules.

Practical Protection Steps 
1. Only install apps from the official app store (Google Play or Microsoft Store, or through a trusted developer's website).
2. Never install pirated software or any type of "free premium" tool from an untrustworthy website.
3. Go into your Android system settings and set "install unknown apps" to disabled, except for trusted developers.
4. Utilize an antivirus application with a behavior-monitoring feature (Bitdefender, Avast, Malwarebytes; all have free tiers that will be able to protect you).
5. Ensure that Google Play Protect is enabled and scan for bugs periodically.
6. From WhatsApp or Telegram - disable auto-downloads of media/files (Settings>Storage & Data>Media Auto-Download>turn off all auto-downloads).
7. Do not copy and paste commands (Win+R, PowerShell, etc.) from a message or pop-up even if it says it is to fix your computer.
8. Always use strong, unique passwords and MFA on all of your accounts; stolen browser sessions have no value if the account is set to protect against unauthorized access.

Key Takeaways
The tornado spreads through trusting people will not be cautious and will trust fake software link, phish link, social engineering lure, etc inside gaming, crypto, and job communities. It does not require zero-day bugs or exploits; rather, it relies on people to execute an infected file or run a command line in a malicious manner. 

The only effective way to defend against it is if someone treats the free premium software, cracked software, and unsolicited link downloads as dangerous. For example, if you choose not to run something, you will stop the train of contamination.