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.