Recently, some pages with the domain gov.br used by government agencies, were invaded by online casinos and bookmakers. By accessing these URLs, people were redirected to these sites.
As much as the news is recent, this scam is not that new, the Open Redirect or open redirection in a free translation, is a vulnerability that can affect the security of people's data in many ways.
This is because when people are redirected to these pages, they may click on links and share their personal information.
Want to know a little more about this vulnerability and how to protect your data? Keep reading and learn more.
What is Open Redirect, and how does it work?
Open redirect is a security vulnerability in web applications that occurs when a website redirects people to external URLs without proper validation or control.
Recently, some of the pages affected by this vulnerability were:
· Prefectures;
· Public university websites;
· State Units of the Court of Auditors.
According to data from a survey published by Folha de São Paulo, more than 9 thousand links with gov.br domain have evidence of cyberattacks.
As much as recent news shows these attacks, the open redirect is a known vulnerability, the attacks always work the same, the criminals only change the destination and their victims.
This is because these flaws allow attackers to manipulate redirects to send people to malicious websites, creating significant risks to data security and trust.
This vulnerability is harmful both to people's data security and to the organizations that suffer these attacks, because your brand can be associated with these scams and lose credibility in the market, generating serious negative consequences.
In addition, the risks of open redirect expand the data privacy of organizations, if their employees click on suspicious links through this vulnerability it can put the company's sensitive information at risk.
How does it work?
Open redirect occurs when a website allows destination URLs to be passed as parameters in its own redirect URLs.
What does this mean? Criminals exploit legitimate websites to direct people to malicious pages, which do not belong to the domain of the official page.
For example, a website has a link with a certain URL, if the organization does not properly validate the parameter, a cybercriminal can modify that link.
This way, when a person clicks on the modified link, they are redirected to the malicious website. This is precisely where the danger lies, as it is an official website, people will not question the veracity of the information.
In addition, because they are real sites, search pages treat these domains as legitimate sources, so criminals save money and reduce the risk of being identified by authorities for illicit acts.
What are the impacts on cybersecurity?
The Open Redirect vulnerability facilitates a variety of cyberattacks, this problem becomes worse thanks to the growing dependence on online services, after all the processes we do are via the internet.
Whether to make a purchase, do research or, as in the previous examples, check some government service, we often perform these actions without thinking too much or verifying the information.
This only makes this vulnerability even more dangerous and compromises information.
It is important to understand the associated security impacts and how it can compromise both the security of people's data and the integrity of the web applications themselves.
See below the main impacts that these attacks have on the security of our data.
Facilitates phishing attacks
Phishing is one of the most well-known and practiced cyberattacks, the technique of hooking people is used by criminals all the time, after all they just need a security breach to be able to steal information and break into systems.
One of the main threats of open redirect is its use in phishing attacks. That's because cybercriminals can create seemingly genuine URLs, which redirect people to fake websites designed to collect sensitive information.
This information can be login credentials, financial data, or personal information. With the credible appearance of the initial link, people can be easily fooled, increasing the effectiveness of phishing attacks.
Malware Distribution
Malware is all types of malicious software installed by cybercriminals on the devices of their victims. Almost all cyberattacks these days involve some form of malware.
This is a highly harmful and expensive scam, its objectives are usually to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, hold corporate devices and networks hostage in exchange for money or identity theft.
With the open redirect, it is possible to exploit malicious software. In this way, when clicking on a seemingly safe link, people are redirected to a website that automatically downloads and installs malicious software on their devices.
This malware can range from simple adware to more serious threats such as ransomware or Trojans, compromising the security of data and the integrity of users' systems.
If a person clicks on this link using a corporate device, the risks are even greater, because in addition to your data, the company's information will be in the hands of criminals and at risk.
Session theft
Session theft is a cyberattack where criminals intercept and steal the session ID shared between a user and a website, with this information in hand cybercriminals manage to steal the identity of their victims and gain access to their account.
If the person falls for an open redirect attack, they can be redirected to a page where criminals are able to capture session tokens, allowing them to impersonate their victims.
With access to the session token in hand, cybercriminals can perform actions on behalf of people, access sensitive information, and perform numerous transactions.
Handling sensitive data
This type of attack can also be used to trick people into sending sensitive data to addresses controlled by criminals. This can include personal information, financial data, or any other data that can be exploited.
The action of redirecting victims to malicious destinations facilitates unauthorized data collection, increasing the risk of information leaks. After all, you are in a domain created by criminals.
How to protect yourself from open redirect attacks?
As with any type of cyberattack, the open redirect can be mitigated through cybersecurity actions, people need to know how to identify these links to protect themselves.
Awareness is a powerful tool in mitigating risks associated with vulnerabilities such as open redirect. By educating and informing people about the dangers and safety best practices, it is possible to reduce the exploitation of this flaw.
Educating people
In order for people to understand the risks associated with open redirect and other cyberattacks, they need to be made aware of these actions and above all how they should protect themselves.
When they are educated about the dangers of links, they become more vigilant and careful when clicking on pages and attachments, and avoid inserting sensitive information into untrusted pages.
Everyone needs to know how phishing attacks work and the telltale signs of a suspicious link.
Foster a culture of cybersecurity
Cybersecurity needs to be part of organizations so that they can be incorporated into people's routines. Risks will only be mitigated with effective and regular actions aimed at information security.
It is necessary to understand that organizations that promote a culture of cybersecurity, where awareness is a priority, help create a safer environment for all people.
Additionally, a cybersecurity culture helps foster open communication about security incidents and potential vulnerabilities, helping to create a proactive mindset among people.
PhishX on Strengthening Cybersecurity
The vulnerability of the open redirect tends to be detrimental to the security of personal data and organizations. That is why it is important to invest in training and implement a cybersecurity policy for risks to be mitigated.
PhishX plays an essential role in strengthening the cybersecurity of organizations, offering training solutions that prepare people to know how to protect themselves from open redirect attacks and other threats.
Our ecosystem is prepared to assist your organization throughout the process, we have training capable of educating people, so that they know how to identify, mitigate and prevent this vulnerability.
This includes teaching good practices for validating URLs, checking redirect parameters, and implementing proper security mechanisms.
In addition, on our platform, institutions conduct phishing simulations designed to simulate the methods and techniques used by cybercriminals. This allows organizations to assess people's awareness of open redirect threats.
After the simulations, it is possible to extract detailed reports and performance analyses, highlighting areas for improvement. This helps organizations target their training efforts more effectively.
Educating people about open redirect and other threats helps reduce the potential for exploitation of these vulnerabilities, in addition, phishing simulations increase awareness by strengthening the organization's security posture.
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