I accidentally ran a suspicious Python-based program on my Windows PC. A Command Prompt window appeared briefly and then closed. The folder contained data, lib, and renpy folders along with log.txt, setup.exe, and setup.py, and the archive was named archive_free_476340. I disconnected the computer from the internet right away and deleted my browsers. Could the program have accessed saved passwords, cookies, login sessions, or other personal data before I disconnected? What steps should I take to determine whether the system was compromised and secure my accounts?
4 Answers
Disconnecting the machine was a sensible first step, but it does not undo data that may have been collected while it was online. Do not log back into your accounts from that PC until it has been checked or reinstalled. Review account login history and active sessions from a separate device, revoke unfamiliar sessions, and watch for password-reset or security-alert emails.
The folder listing and filename alone cannot prove that this was malware. Ren'Py is commonly used for game software, and a brief Command Prompt window can be normal for some programs. You would need to inspect the actual script and executable, along with security logs and antivirus results, to determine what it did.
Because you cannot easily know what ran, the safest technical response is to preserve anything useful for analysis, run an offline scan with reputable security software, and consider a clean Windows reinstall if the machine contained sensitive information. Restore only personal files you can verify, and avoid running unknown programs again. Deleting the browsers does not necessarily remove stolen cookies or credentials that may already have been copied.
Treat the computer as potentially compromised until you can verify otherwise. From a different, trusted device, change important passwords, sign out other sessions, and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible. Prioritize email, banking, password managers, and any account that can be used to reset other accounts. If financial details were stored on the PC, contact the bank and monitor the accounts.
There is no reliable way to identify a specific malware family from the archive name or the presence of setup.py alone. The important point is to avoid assuming it was harmless and to secure accounts from another device.