MalwarePublished 16 Jun 2026

Steam Workshop abused to spread malware via Wallpaper Engine app

Source Bleeping Computer

Description

Threat actors are abusing Steam Workshop, Valve's community hub for downloading game-related content, to push various malware hidden in wallpaper packages. [...]

Impact

Successful installation of malicious wallpapers can lead to system compromise through backdoors, theft of Steam account credentials, unauthorized cryptocurrency mining, botnet participation, and ransomware infection. This impacts user privacy, system integrity, and potentially financial assets linked to Steam accounts or cryptocurrency wallets. The threat exploits a legitimate feature of Wallpaper Engine, increasing the risk of user deception and widespread infection.

Defensive guidance

Valve has removed the known malicious wallpapers identified by researchers. Users should only download wallpapers from trusted sources on Steam Workshop and scan all downloaded content with up-to-date antivirus software before installation. Monitor vendor advisories for updates on remediation or additional protective measures.

Summary

Researchers at Kaspersky have identified that threat actors are exploiting the Wallpaper Engine application on Steam by uploading malicious wallpaper packages to the Steam Workshop. Wallpaper Engine supports application wallpapers that are executable Windows applications set as desktop backgrounds. Attackers embed malware payloads directly or within password-protected archives that execute automatically upon wallpaper installation. Malware families observed include DarkKomet backdoors, Lumma and Vidar infostealers, cryptocurrency miners, botnet loaders, RanEngine, and ransomware. The malicious wallpapers have been downloaded thousands of times before detection. Valve has removed known malicious wallpapers but the risk persists due to the platform's design and ongoing submissions.

References

bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/steam-workshop-abused-to-spread-malware-via-wallpaper-engine-app/ (opens in a new tab)

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Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 16 Jun 2026, 18:30 UTC

References

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