Phishing via URL Spoofing

TL;DR

Attackers trick you into visiting a fake website that looks like a legitimate one by subtly manipulating the browser’s address bar. This guide explains how to spot these attacks and protect yourself.

Understanding URL Spoofing

URL spoofing relies on visual deception. Attackers don’t change the actual web address, but they exploit how browsers display URLs, making it easy to mistake a malicious site for a real one. Common techniques include:

• Character Substitution: Using similar-looking characters (e.g., replacing ‘l’ with ‘1’, ‘O’ with ‘0’).
• Subdomain Abuse: Registering a subdomain of a legitimate domain to appear trustworthy.
• IDN Homograph Attacks: Using Unicode characters that look like standard Latin characters but are different, causing the browser to display a misleading URL.

How to Identify Spoofed URLs

1. Carefully Examine the Domain Name: Don’t just look at the brand name; check the entire domain (e.g., example.com, not just “Example”). Pay attention to misspellings or unusual characters.
2. Check for Subdomains: Be wary of URLs with long subdomains before the main domain. A legitimate site rarely uses a complex subdomain structure for login pages.
3. Look at the URL Scheme (HTTP/HTTPS): Always prefer https:// over http://. The ‘s’ indicates a secure connection, encrypting your data. Most modern sites use HTTPS by default.
4. Hover Over Links: Before clicking any link, hover your mouse over it to see the actual URL in the browser’s status bar (usually at the bottom of the window). This reveals the true destination.
5. Be Suspicious of Redirects: If a link redirects you through multiple pages before reaching the final destination, be cautious. Attackers often use redirects to hide the real URL.
6. Check for Punycode: IDN homograph attacks can sometimes reveal themselves as long strings of characters after an ‘@’ symbol in the domain name (e.g., xn--exmple-42a.com). This is a sign that the domain name has been encoded using Unicode.

Protecting Yourself

1. Enable Browser Security Features: Most browsers have built-in phishing protection. Make sure these features are enabled in your browser settings.
2. Use a Password Manager: A good password manager will automatically fill in login credentials only on legitimate websites, preventing you from entering them on fake sites.
3. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA whenever possible. This adds an extra layer of security, even if your password is compromised.
4. Keep Your Browser Updated: Browser updates often include security patches that protect against the latest phishing techniques.
5. Be Wary of Emails and Messages: Don’t click links in suspicious emails or messages. Go directly to the website by typing the address into your browser.
6. Report Phishing Attempts: Report any suspected phishing attempts to the relevant authorities (e.g., your email provider, the Anti-Phishing Working Group).

Example Scenario

You receive an email claiming to be from your bank asking you to update your account information. The link in the email looks like this: https://secure-bank.login.example.com.

• Suspicious subdomain: Notice the “login” subdomain. Banks rarely use subdomains for login pages.
• Hover to verify: Hovering over the link reveals the actual URL is https://attackerwebsite.com/bank-login, which clearly isn’t your bank’s website.