Hijacking browsers with BeEF
Web Heist
© Lead Image © kanokpol prasankhamphaibun, 123RF.com
Bits of JavaScript from a malicious website can put your browser in a trance. A tool called BeEF encapsulates that power in a most diabolical way, providing yet another reason to avoid unknown links and keep your browser up to date.
Web browsers have become so ubiquitous that they are installed on almost every Internet-connected device with a user interface. Because of this popularity, browsers are a very attractive target for attackers.
A 2023 article on the Dark Reading website [1] discusses a study by Spin.AI. The study analyzed around 300,000 browser extensions for several browsers that use Chromium under the bonnet, such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. A staggering 51 percent of the extensions presented a high risk to users. The study apparently found that the "extensions all had the ability to capture sensitive data from enterprise apps, run malicious JavaScript, and surreptitiously send protected data including banking details and login credentials to external parties."
The complexity of modern browsers increases their attack surface greatly, and the threats that their developers must counter should not be underestimated. For a number of years, both Firefox and Google Chrome have made use of sophisticated sandboxing techniques to provide a number of isolation advantages [2].
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Plasma 6.3 Now Available
Plasma desktop v6.3 has a couple of pretty nifty tricks up its sleeve.
-
LibreOffice 25.2 Has Arrived
If you've been hoping for a release that offers more UI customizations, you're in for a treat.
-
TuxCare Has a Big AlmaLinux 9 Announcement in Store
TuxCare announced it has successfully completed a Security Technical Implementation Guide for AlmaLinux OS 9.
-
First Release Candidate for Linux Kernel 6.14 Now Available
Linus Torvalds has officially released the first release candidate for kernel 6.14 and it includes over 500,000 lines of modified code, making for a small release.
-
System76 Refreshes Meerkat Mini PC
If you're looking for a small form factor PC powered by Linux, System76 has exactly what you need in the Meerkat mini PC.
-
Gnome 48 Alpha Ready for Testing
The latest Gnome desktop alpha is now available with plenty of new features and improvements.
-
Wine 10 Includes Plenty to Excite Users
With its latest release, Wine has the usual crop of bug fixes and improvements, along with some exciting new features.
-
Linux Kernel 6.13 Offers Improvements for AMD/Apple Users
The latest Linux kernel is now available, and it includes plenty of improvements, especially for those who use AMD or Apple-based systems.
-
Gnome 48 Debuts New Audio Player
To date, the audio player found within the Gnome desktop has been meh at best, but with the upcoming release that all changes.
-
Plasma 6.3 Ready for Public Beta Testing
Plasma 6.3 will ship with KDE Gear 24.12.1 and KDE Frameworks 6.10, along with some new and exciting features.