• Articles
    • Editorial Articles
    • Research Articles
    • WatchGuard Articles
  • The 443 Podcast
  • Threat Landscape
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Contribute to Secplicity

Secplicity - Security Simplified

Powered by WatchGuard Technologies

JavaScript’s Hidden Danger: Drive-by Downloads

August 18, 2017 By The Editor

WatchGuard’s Q1 2017 Internet Security Report found that two out of the top-ten most popular malware threats were malicious JavaScript. That’s right, while JavaScript may be well known for its many handy, legitimate uses, it’s also a popular obfuscation method that can allow cybercriminals to stealthily deliver malware via email or the web. Why is it so popular? One major reason is that JavaScript malware can infect a computer without any interaction from the user in what’s called a “drive-by download attack.”

Marc Laliberte, information security threat analyst at WatchGuard, recently wrote an article for Website Magazine explaining how drive-by downloads work and best practices for defending against them. Here’s an excerpt from the article discussing how drive-by download attacks remain hidden while infecting victims:

“Attackers usually load exploit kits inside a hidden HTML inline frame (iframe) tag. Iframe tags are most commonly used to embed one Web page or element within another. Attackers can stylize iframe tags to be effectively invisible to the Web page visitor, enabling them to silently load an exploit kit without the victim’s knowledge. These malicious iframe tags are most commonly generated and displayed (invisibly) using JavaScript.”

Luckily, there are some good ways to defend against drive-by download attacks through user education and technical tools. Learn what they are by reading Marc’s full article in Website Magazine and read more about drive-by downloads distributed via social media here on Secplicity.

Share This:

Related

Filed Under: Editorial Articles, Featured Tagged With: drive-by download, Malware

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The 443 Podcast

A weekly podcast featuring the leading white-hat hackers and security researchers. Listen Now
the 443 podcast

Threat Landscape

Filter and view Firebox Feed data by type of attack, region, country, and date range. View Now
threat landscape

Top Posts

  • Cybersecurity News: Free Cybersecurity Training, TrickBot Group Exposed, Major GoDaddy Breach, and Russia to Legalize cybercrime?!
  • US National Cybersecurity Strategy
  • Here Come The Regulations
  • Cybersecurity’s Toll on Mental Health

Email Newsletter

Sign up to get the latest security news and threat analysis delivered straight to your inbox

By signing up you agree to our Privacy Policy.


The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of WatchGuard Technologies.

Stay in Touch

Recent Posts

  • Cybersecurity News: LastPass Incident Revealed, White House Issues Cybersecurity Strategy, FBI Purchases Leaked USHOR PII Data, and a Slew of Other Breaches
  • An Update on Section 230
  • Here Come The Regulations
  • US National Cybersecurity Strategy
  • Cybersecurity News: Free Cybersecurity Training, TrickBot Group Exposed, Major GoDaddy Breach, and Russia to Legalize cybercrime?!
View All

Search

Archives

Copyright © 2023 WatchGuard Technologies · Cookie Policy · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use