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URL TRACKING SYSTEMS ARE ABUSED FOR PHISHING ATTACKS

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URL Tracking Systems are Abused for Phishing Attacks – URL Tracking Systems are abused for phishing attacks – URL tracking systems are regularly exploited in phishing attacks. The domains used by these systems are commonly known and trusted, making them attractive carriers for phishing URLs.

In this blog, we are going to illustrate a recent phishing attack that employs Google Ads’ tracking system to bypass email filters.

1- How Are URL Tracking Systems Abused For Phishing Attacks?

Piggybacking on a domain is tempting to cyber criminals because using this, they can easily bypass past spam filters, and it is easy to create. By editing an existing URL, the difficulty of setting up their redirect is eliminated, and they can take benefit of the infrastructure already in place to start their own campaign.

URL tracking systems use parameters to move through different pieces of data for handling advertising campaigns. 

One of these parameters is typically the final URL that the ad service should redirect people to once they have clicked on the tracking link. For example, for Google Ads, this is the adurl parameter.

Hence, by substituting adurl value with a phishing URL, cyber criminals can quickly undermine a legitimate Google Ads tracking URL and utilize it in their phishing attacks.

Moreover, like Google’s add service, some other well-known URL’s exploited using this tactic like the following:

  • sony-europe[.]com
  • vioc[.]com
  • verizonwireless[.]com
  • Vistaprint[.]com

2- How to Prevent Phishing Attacks?

URL Tracking Systems are Abused for Phishing Attacks

“This post is originally published at www.keepnetlabs.com”

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