Netflix Impersonator Attempts Credential Theft in Likely AI-Generated Phishing Attack
In this likely AI-generated phishing attack, cybercriminals impersonate Netflix and email targets a notification claiming there is an issue with their previous month’s payment. Using the subject line "[Urgent] Update Your Netflix Payment Within 24 Hours to Prevent Immediate Suspension!," the email states that the recipient’s payment could not be processed and warns of an impending account suspension unless action is taken within 24 hours. The target is instructed to use the provided link to update their payment details. However, should the recipient click the button labeled “Update Payment”, they will be redirected to a phishing page designed to steal sensitive information such as login credentials, credit card numbers, or other personal details. To increase the appearance of legitimacy, the attackers leverage a malicious look-alike domain and incorporate mimicked Netflix branding into the email body. By leveraging the appearance of a legitimate Netflix service alert and instilling a sense of urgency, the attacker hopes to manipulate recipients into complying without scrutinizing the email’s legitimacy.
Older, legacy email security tools struggle to accurately identify this email as an attack because it originates from a look-alike domain, uses legitimate links inside the message, and contains no attachments. Modern AI-powered email security solutions detect suspicious links in the email, identify that the sender is unknown to the recipient, and recognize that the message contains language commonly used in personal information theft attempts to correctly flag this email as an attack.
Phishing email disguised as account suspension warning from Netflix
How Does This Attack Bypass Email Defenses?
This email attack bypasses traditional security solutions for multiple reasons, including the following:
- Look-alike Domain: The email is sent from a look-alike domain that resembles the legitimate domain, making it difficult for basic domain filters to detect the deception.
- Legitimate Links Included: The email includes links associated with recognizable domains, which can pass through basic link verification checks due to their legitimate structure.
- Lack of Attachments: By not including any attachments, the email avoids detection by antivirus and anti-malware systems focused on attachment-based threats.
How Did Abnormal Detect This Attack?
This attack was detected using AI and ML by analyzing various factors, including the following:
- Suspicious Link Analysis: Abnormal's systems scrutinize the presence of links leading to suspicious domains, triggering deeper analysis for possible malicious intent.
- Unknown Sender Consideration: The email is recognized as coming from an unknown sender who has never communicated with the recipient. Abnormal’s platform maintains a communication history and quickly flags deviations from established sender-recipient interaction patterns.
- Personal Information Theft: The email contains language attempting to steal personal information, a common tactic used by attackers to deceive recipients into providing sensitive data.
By recognizing established normal behavior and detecting these abnormal indicators, a modern email security solution has the ability to prevent this attack from reaching inboxes.
Please note the exact detection mechanism from Abnormal Security's system might include proprietary techniques and methodologies not disclosed here.