Attention: You are using an outdated browser, device or you do not have the latest version of JavaScript downloaded and so this website may not work as expected. Please download the latest software or switch device to avoid further issues.

News > Attacks & Threats > Placeholder third-party[.]com Referenced Across 1,700+ Repositories Now Serves Malicious Content

Placeholder third-party[.]com Referenced Across 1,700+ Repositories Now Serves Malicious Content

The "third-party[.]com" domain, commonly used as a documentation placeholder, has been observed serving a ClickFix lure to Windows browsers while displaying a harmless decoy to other users.

"third-party[.]com has been a generic documentation placeholder for years, the same role example.com plays," Manifold Security's Head of Research, Ax Sharma, said. "Unlike 'example[.]com,' third-party[.]com is not IANA-reserved. Anyone could register it, and someone did. Every doc, test, and skill that hard-coded it now points readers at attacker infrastructure."

As of writing, the domain has been marked as malicious and unsafe on both VirusTotal and Google's Safe Browsing list.

ClickFix is a social engineering attack technique in which either malicious or legitimate-but-compromised websites display error messages, browser alerts, or CAPTCHA verification prompts, tricking users into copying and executing hidden commands via the Windows Run dialog or Terminal to "fix" the issue. More here

Similar Stories

Those closest to executives must match their security postures because the weakest link in a family can become the entry point for attacks. More...

A bug in Claude Code Desktop's preview pane can allow adversaries to quietly steal credentials from developers, includin… More...

Don't buy the hype! AI has been dumbing down cyberattacks, and serious threat actors are barely touching it. More...

Organizations don't need better vulnerability scanners; they need to know who owns their assets and has the authority an… More...

Threat actors are now hiding payloads by using DNS TXT records and browser cache pre-fetching, making it tougher to spot… More...

Have your say

 

News Categories

Those closest to executives must match their security postures because the weakest link in a family can become the entry point for attacks. More...

A bug in Claude Code Desktop's preview pane can allow adversaries to quietly steal credentials from developers, includin… More...

Don't buy the hype! AI has been dumbing down cyberattacks, and serious threat actors are barely touching it. More...

Organizations don't need better vulnerability scanners; they need to know who owns their assets and has the authority an… More...

Threat actors are now hiding payloads by using DNS TXT records and browser cache pre-fetching, making it tougher to spot… More...

image

Contact Us

Security Interest Group Switzerland
c/o Bridge Head AG
Sulzbergstrasse 34
5430 Wettingen
Switzerland

Follow Us

This website is powered by
ToucanTech