Microsoft says to watch out for HTML smugglers packing Trojans
New dangers, old tricks.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
What you need to know
Microsoft wants to make sure tech aficionados remain vigilant of the latest cyber threats, including HTML smuggling. HTML smuggling is a threat type the Microsoft 365 Defender Threat Intelligence Team has seen show up with increasing frequency in attacks looking to offload remote access Trojans (RATs) and banking malware onto unsuspecting targets. Threat actors such as the ones behind themassive SolarWinds dramaof 2020 and 2021 are an example of those utilizing HTML smuggling.
Microsoft crafted alengthy blog poston the subject, outlining what the threat is, how it endangers users, and what it looks like in the wild. A chunk of the content is highly technical, but there’s a lot of digestible, informative detail in there as well. Here’s an excerpt:
As the name suggests, HTML smuggling lets an attacker “smuggle” an encoded malicious script within a specially crafted HTML attachment or web page. When a target user opens the HTML in their web browser, the browser decodes the malicious script, which, in turn, assembles the payload on the host device. Thus, instead of having a malicious executable pass directly through a network, the attacker builds the malware locally behind a firewall.
Spooky stuff, right? However, though that paragraph makes the threat easy to comprehend, it also highlights why this may not end up being a threat at all for a lot of people: It requires a voluntary click. And a lot of the time, an email packing danger ispoorly written enoughto unintentionally warn you in advance.
With that said, be sure to check out Microsoft’s blog post for the full scoop on how HTML smuggling campaigns attempt to dupe users into exposing their machines. Sometimes, malicious parties can be pretty convincing.
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He’s a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author ofCold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.
