The technique when an attacker sends a link that appears harmless but actually leads to a malicious website is commonly known as link manipulation or a form of phishing. This involves crafting deceptive URLs that disguise the true harmful destination, tricking users into clicking them. Such links may appear to come from trusted sources but redirect victims to malicious sites that can steal personal information, install malware, or perform other cybercrimes. More specifically, this technique can include methods like:
- Link manipulation , where URLs are disguised or cloaked to appear legitimate.
- Phishing attacks , where fake emails or messages contain malicious links disguised as harmless.
- Open redirect exploits , where trusted websites are used as intermediaries to redirect users to malicious sites.
- URL obfuscation , where URLs are altered or encoded to hide their real destination.
This technique is a common tactic used by cyber attackers to exploit trust and deceive users into visiting harmful websites.
