Threat Alert: LURES TRICK RECIPIENTS Into Executing Malicious Commands

• A series of lures aimed at tricking recipients into executing malicious commands on their computers has been identified.
• These lures were most frequently found across web-based threats, compromised websites, and phishing emails containing HTML attachments.
• Themes for the lures used in these attacks varied greatly. However, lures frequently directed recipients to fake CAPTCHA pages or to malicious processes designed to allegedly fix IT-related issues.
• These pages ask for additional verification steps, most commonly displaying step-by-step instructions to copy a command, open a command interface, and then paste and execute the command.
• Executing the commands leads to the execution of malicious software (malware) on the device.

Key Action: Report Suspicious Emails 

• Be wary of convoluted steps. Many websites use CAPTCHA pages to verify the visitor is human. Additional convoluted verification steps, though, like copying and pasting a command into a command interface on your computer, are a red flag.
• Be cautious of clicking on URLs, particularly in unsolicited emails. Instead, always navigate to a website directly through a known URL or a trusted bookmark.
• Report ANY suspicious emails using the Phish Alarm button.