Menu

  • Alerts
  • Incidents
  • News
  • APTs
  • Cyber Decoded
  • Cyber Hygiene
  • Cyber Review
  • Cyber Tips
  • Definitions
  • Malware
  • Threat Actors
  • Tutorials

Useful Tools

  • Password generator
  • Report an incident
  • Report to authorities
No Result
View All Result
CTF Hack Havoc
CyberMaterial
  • Education
    • Cyber Decoded
    • Definitions
  • Information
    • Alerts
    • Incidents
    • News
  • Insights
    • Cyber Hygiene
    • Cyber Review
    • Tips
    • Tutorials
  • Support
    • Contact Us
    • Report an incident
  • About
    • About Us
    • Advertise with us
Get Help
Hall of Hacks
  • Education
    • Cyber Decoded
    • Definitions
  • Information
    • Alerts
    • Incidents
    • News
  • Insights
    • Cyber Hygiene
    • Cyber Review
    • Tips
    • Tutorials
  • Support
    • Contact Us
    • Report an incident
  • About
    • About Us
    • Advertise with us
Get Help
No Result
View All Result
Hall of Hacks
CyberMaterial
No Result
View All Result
Home Alerts

New Phishing Uses Windows Search Exploit

June 13, 2024
Reading Time: 3 mins read
in Alerts
New Phishing Uses Windows Search Exploit

A new phishing campaign is exploiting the Windows search protocol (search-ms URI) to deliver malware via HTML attachments. These attachments push batch files hosted on remote servers, making use of Windows Search’s ability to query file shares on remote hosts and use custom titles for search windows. This tactic allows attackers to share malicious files on remote servers, a method initially highlighted in a 2020 thesis by Prof. Dr. Martin Johns.

In June 2022, security researchers devised an attack chain that exploited a Microsoft Office flaw to initiate searches directly from Word documents. Now, Trustwave SpiderLabs reports that threat actors are actively using this technique in the wild. The attack begins with a malicious email containing an HTML attachment disguised as an invoice document within a small ZIP archive, designed to evade security and antivirus scanners.

The HTML file employs a <meta http-equiv=”refresh”> tag to automatically open a malicious URL when viewed. If this redirect fails, a clickable anchor tag serves as a fallback mechanism. The URL triggers the Windows Search protocol to perform a search on a remote host, using parameters like “Query,” “Crumb,” “Displayname,” and “Location” to disguise the operation and appear legitimate. The search results display a shortcut (LNK) file named as an invoice, which, when clicked, activates a batch script (BAT) from the remote server.

Trustwave was unable to determine the exact actions of the BAT file as the server was down during their analysis, but the potential for harmful operations is significant. To mitigate this threat, Trustwave recommends deleting registry entries associated with the search-ms/search URI protocol. However, this action should be taken with caution as it can disrupt legitimate applications and integrated Windows features that rely on this protocol

Reference:

  • New Attack Uses Windows Search to Push Remote Malware Files

Tags: AntivirusCyber AlertCyber Alerts 2024Cyber RiskCyber threatHTMLJune 2024Microsoft OfficePhishingWindows
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

WatchGuard Devices At Risk Of RCE

BitLocker May Lock Your Data Silently

October 21, 2025
WatchGuard Devices At Risk Of RCE

North Korea Hackers Use New JS Malware

October 21, 2025
WatchGuard Devices At Risk Of RCE

WatchGuard Devices At Risk Of RCE

October 21, 2025
Experian Fined For Data Collection

TikTok Videos Driving Infostealer Attacks

October 20, 2025
Experian Fined For Data Collection

Chrome Extensions Hijack WhatsApp Web

October 20, 2025
Experian Fined For Data Collection

Google Ads Used To Push Fake Software

October 20, 2025

Latest Alerts

BitLocker May Lock Your Data Silently

North Korea Hackers Use New JS Malware

WatchGuard Devices At Risk Of RCE

TikTok Videos Driving Infostealer Attacks

Chrome Extensions Hijack WhatsApp Web

Google Ads Used To Push Fake Software

Subscribe to our newsletter

    Latest Incidents

    Muji Stops Online Sales After Attack

    Major Telco Confirms Cyber Breach

    Russian Hackers Leak UK MoD Files

    AWS Outage Disrupts Major Services

    Envoy Air Hit By Oracle System Hack

    F5 Breach Hits 262000 BIGIP Systems

    CyberMaterial Logo
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Jobs
    • Legal and Privacy Policy
    • Site Map

    © 2025 | CyberMaterial | All rights reserved

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In

    Add New Playlist

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Alerts
    • Incidents
    • News
    • Cyber Decoded
    • Cyber Hygiene
    • Cyber Review
    • Definitions
    • Malware
    • Cyber Tips
    • Tutorials
    • Advanced Persistent Threats
    • Threat Actors
    • Report an incident
    • Password Generator
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us

    Copyright © 2025 CyberMaterial