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Cyber Risks · Unit 42 Palo Alto Networks

2020 Phishing Trends With PDF Files

Summary: Unit 42 Palo Alto Networks observed a 1,160% increase in malicious PDF files from 2019 to 2020, rising from 411,800 to 5,224,056, based on samples collected weekly through the WildFire platform. The top five phishing schemes in the dataset were Fake CAPTCHA, Coupon, Play Button, File Sharing and E-commerce, with the fake CAPTCHA category accounting for close to 40% of phishing PDF files seen in 2020.

Key Takeaway: Most of these PDFs used traffic redirection through gating sites and redirectors, letting attackers swap the final destination from credential theft to card fraud and extend the lure's shelf life past takedowns. The fake CAPTCHA chain ended by registering browser push notifications that persist even when the site is closed, turning a single click into a standing channel back to the attacker.

Read the original at Unit 42 Palo Alto Networks ↗

Topics
Endpoint & Network Security
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