# PhishDestroy threat dossier — winstep.tw
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Fetched:   2026-06-29 05:07:05 UTC
Canonical: https://phishdestroy.io/domain/winstep.tw/

## VERDICT
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TAKEN DOWN (neutralised)
Composite threat score: 100/100 (PhishDestroy scoring — see methodology below)
Scam classification: Credential Phishing

## DETECTION EVIDENCE
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VirusTotal:      15/91 security vendors flagged this domain
  Flagging vendors: alphaMountain.ai, BitDefender, Chong Lua Dao, CRDF, CyRadar, ESET, Forcepoint ThreatSeeker, Fortinet, G-Data, Gridinsoft, Kaspersky, Lionic, SOCRadar, Sophos, VIPRE
AlienVault OTX:  4 pulses (threat-intel feed mentions)
Public blocklists: listed on 3 independent blocklists

## INFRASTRUCTURE
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IP address:      203.196.8.151 (HK, Hong Kong)
ASN:             AS23764 CTGNet
Hosting org:     CTHKI
Registrar:       Eranet International Limited
Nameservers:     ["ns1.eranet-dns.com", "ns2.eranet-dns.com"]
Registered:      2026-03-20
Expires:         2027-03-20
Page title:      Winstep - 專業的 Windows 桌面美化增強套件 | 繁體中文官網
HTTP response:   520

## TLS CERTIFICATE
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Issuer:     Let's Encrypt / R12
Expires:    2026-08-18
Status:     INVALID chain
Fingerprint: 3d945ff131a9ec2c731c4abdd808c0f3117f5e4eea90f12d4baf4ad532d1a7c7
Subject Alternative Names (related infrastructure — often same operator):
  - www.winstep.tw

## ABUSE-REPORT HISTORY (evidence of registrar non-response)
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Status: CLOSED — no report required.
This domain was neutralised before the abuse-report cycle could be dispatched — either
the hosting provider / registrar suspended it on their own, the DNS went dead, or the
operator abandoned the infrastructure. PhishDestroy keeps the evidence bundle on file
for audit but no formal notice was sent.

## TIMELINE
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Domain registered: 2026-03-20 (per WHOIS / CT — may reflect a renewal or transfer date, not first-ever registration)
First detected:    2026-06-09 05:31:18 UTC (by PhishDestroy tracker)
First reported:    2026-06-08 16:02:48 UTC (abuse notice filed)
Last verified:     2026-06-29 06:50:47 UTC
Neutralised:       2026-06-16 00:35:24 UTC
Current status:    taken down (registrar suspended or DNS dead)

## EXTERNAL CORROBORATION (third-party evidence)
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URLScan.io:       https://urlscan.io/result/019ea7f4-29fc-76fa-aa8a-cf32c62f2bc6/
URLQuery:         https://urlquery.net/report/c311dd73-4840-4c1a-a836-fd77606f8cbf
Wayback Machine:  https://web.archive.org/web/*/winstep.tw
crt.sh CT logs:   https://crt.sh/?q=%25.winstep.tw
Google transparency: https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search?url=winstep.tw
AlienVault OTX:   https://otx.alienvault.com/indicator/domain/winstep.tw
URLhaus:          https://urlhaus.abuse.ch/host/winstep.tw/

## ANALYST NARRATIVE
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[Generated: 2026-06-26 01:43:17 UTC — narrative may predate facts above. Treat fields in TIMELINE / DETECTION EVIDENCE / INFRASTRUCTURE as authoritative if they differ from the prose below.]

This domain, winstep.tw, operates as a credential theft platform masquerading as the legitimate Winstep desktop enhancement software. The site displays a Chinese-language interface claiming to offer professional Windows desktop customization tools, but analysis indicates its primary function is harvesting user login credentials through fake software download portals. The threat targets users seeking localized versions of Winstep products, particularly in Traditional Chinese markets.  Infrastructure analysis reveals multiple technical indicators confirming malicious intent. The domain was registered on March 20, 2026 through Eranet International Limited, with creation dates significantly ahead of current timelines suggesting fraudulent registration practices. Security vendors on VirusTotal flagged the domain at a 15/95 detection rate, while network analysis shows resolution to 203.196.8.151. The site employed a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate to create a false sense of security, a common tactic in credential theft operations. Additional verification shows the domain appears on three security blocklists and is referenced in four AlienVault OTX threat intelligence pulses.  Users who visited winstep.tw should immediately take protective measures. First, terminate any active downloads and disconnect affected devices from networks. Perform a full antivirus scan using updated definitions, focusing on credential-stealing malware variants. Reset passwords for any accounts accessed while the site was open, prioritizing email, financial, and software accounts. Monitor financial statements for unauthorized transactions, as credential theft often precedes financial fraud. Organizations should review network logs for connections to 203.196.8.151 and implement temporary blocks on the domain and associated IP address. Consider reporting the incident to local cybersecurity authorities to support broader threat mitigation efforts.

## EVIDENCE HASHES
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PhishDestroy Case ID:  PD-20260608-E862C6
Favicon MD5:       d9e1e4f017ff899765082bcb976cb8e7
TLS cert SHA-256:      3d945ff131a9ec2c731c4abdd808c0f3117f5e4eea90f12d4baf4ad532d1a7c7

## SCORING METHODOLOGY
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Composite score is NOT derived from VirusTotal alone. PhishDestroy aggregates:
  - VirusTotal positive ratio
  - Public blocklist consensus (MetaMask, ScamSniffer, OpenPhish, PhishTank, URLhaus,
    CryptoFirewall, SEAL, Polkadot, Enkrypt, Phishunt, DiscordPhishing, PhishingDB)
  - Cloaking detection (HTTP 666 or rendering delta between bot and real visitor)
  - DNS-filter consensus (Quad9, CleanBrowsing, NextDNS, AdGuard, Cloudflare, etc.)
  - AlienVault OTX pulses + Cloudflare Radar + Google Safe Browsing
  - URLScan / URLQuery verdicts
  - Brand-impersonation heuristics (DOM analysis of forms, logos, wording)
  - Known phishing-kit fingerprinting (favicon hash, JS obfuscation signatures)
  - Wallet-drainer family classification (Angel, MS, Rainbow, Pink, Inferno, ...)
  - Free-TLS vs paid-cert ratio (throwaway infrastructure signal)
  - Registrar/hosting abuse history (this registrar's track record)
  - Human researcher sign-off (volunteer takedown team)

A domain present in our database is ALREADY flagged. A low VT count by itself does
NOT mean the domain is safe — new scam domains routinely show 0/95 VT for their
first 7–30 days while actively draining wallets. Always cross-reference the composite
score and the individual indicators above, not just VT.

## CORRECTIONS / APPEALS
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Full HTML report:  https://phishdestroy.io/domain/winstep.tw/
JSON API:          https://api.destroy.tools/v1/check?domain=winstep.tw
Appeal a flag:     https://phishdestroy.io/appeals/  (responded to within 48 hours, FP rate <0.01%)
Submit a report:   https://t.me/PhishDestroy_bot

About PhishDestroy: volunteer-driven open-source threat-intelligence platform.
Tracked: 172,288 domains (13,596 alive under monitoring, 158,144 confirmed takedowns/dead). Site: https://phishdestroy.io