Cyber Risks · Krebs on Security

The Fake Browser Update Scam Gets a Makeover

Summary: The ClearFake scam, first documented by researcher Randy McEoin in August 2023, uses hacked WordPress sites to show visitors browser-specific update prompts that drop an information-stealing trojan. Guardio researchers found the group moved its malicious files from Cloudflare, after those accounts were blocked, to smart contracts on the Binance Smart Chain, where a compromised site queries the contract and receives an obfuscated payload.

Why it matters: Guardio's Nati Tal describes the blockchain retrieval as a free, untracked way to serve the payload without leaving traces, and Proofpoint says at least four distinct threat actor groups now use fake browser updates - a technique the core group has run for five years.

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Topics
Cybercrime & Law Enforcement
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