AI-driven imposters craft fraudulent CAPTCHAs for deceitful email schemes
In a recent report by Trend Micro, three AI-powered platforms - Lovable, Netlify, and Vercel - have been highlighted for their potential involvement in phishing attacks that utilise fake CAPTCHA pages. These platforms, which simplify the integration of AI coding assistants in the continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline, are being used by cybercriminals to create and host convincing fake CAPTCHA sites. The apparent routine security check of these pages makes the malicious links appear more legitimate to victims, helping them bypass security tools. The phishing campaigns begin with spam emails carrying urgent messages. Clicking the embedded URL in these emails directs the target to an apparent CAPTCHA verification page. Once the CAPTCHA is completed, the victim is redirected to the actual phishing page, where sensitive data such as credentials can be stolen. Trend Micro provides several recommendations for organisations to mitigate the risks of captcha-based phishing campaigns. These include implementing defenses capable of analysing redirect chains, monitoring trusted domains for signs of abuse by tracking traffic to their subdomains, and educating employees on how to spot captcha-based phishing attempts. Another recommendation is to keep a close eye on the behaviour of the AI platforms mentioned by Trend Micro researchers - GPT-3, ChatGPT, Google Bard, Lovable, Netlify, and Vercel. Attackers have been observed using these platforms since January 2025, with activity escalating sharply from February to April. Specifically, Vercel was linked to 52 phishing emails, Lovable 43, and Netlify three. The fake CAPTCHA pages created by these platforms redirect victims to malicious websites hosted by the attackers. It is crucial for organisations to stay vigilant and proactive in the face of these evolving threats. By understanding the role of AI-powered platforms in phishing attacks and implementing the recommended mitigation strategies, organisations can help protect their employees and data from these malicious campaigns.
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