MOSCOW / LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – In a surprise raid, Russian police have arrested three developers of the notorious Meduza stealer. This malware, which was offered as malware-as-a-service, has been stealing sensitive data from users worldwide since 2023. The arrests mark a turning point in Russia’s handling of the domestic hacker scene.
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In a surprising turn of events, on October 30, 2025, Russian police arrested three people suspected of developing and selling the Meduza Stealer. These arrests took place in Moscow and its surrounding areas and were carried out by the Investigative Department of the Russian Interior Ministry. Those arrested, described as young IT specialists, are said to have operated Meduza as a profitable malware-as-a-service (MaaS) business.
The Meduza Stealer, a program developed in C++, has quickly become a powerful information thief. It is capable of stealing sensitive data such as login details from over 100 browsers and 27 password managers, cryptocurrency information from over 100 wallets, and data from messaging and gaming clients such as Telegram and Steam. The malware was actively sold on underground forums and through Telegram channels, with the latest version, Meduza 2.2, being offered for $199 per month or $1,199 for a lifetime membership.
A key turning point in the investigation was the group’s alleged attack on a Russian government organization in the Astrakhan region. This attack was potentially a fatal mistake as the Meduza Stealer was specifically designed with a geo-filter to avoid targets in Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. This operational security (OpSec) rule is widely used among local cybercriminals to protect themselves from the authorities.
During the raids, police confiscated computers, phones and bank cards. Video footage of the operation, carried out with the support of Rosgvardia forces, shows officers storming several apartments. A suspect was filmed wearing ‘Hello Kitty’ pajama pants. Investigators also discovered that the group had developed a second, unidentified piece of malware designed to bypass security measures and create botnets. If the three young specialists are convicted on all charges, they could face a prison sentence of up to five years.
These arrests signal a clear and significant change in Moscow’s attitude. According to a report from Recorded Future’s Insikt Group, Russia’s strategy towards the local hacker scene is moving from passive tolerance to active control. These arrests confirm the finding that Russia uses selective arrests and public crackdowns to assert state authority and target domestic hackers who become too visible or politically inconvenient.
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