Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a new phishing campaign targeting Microsoft OneDrive users, employing sophisticated social engineering tactics to execute a malicious PowerShell script. The campaign, known as “OneDrive Pastejacking,” was analyzed by Trellix security researcher Rafael Pena. It begins with an email containing an HTML file that mimics a OneDrive error page. The deceptive page displays a message claiming a failure to connect to the OneDrive cloud service and instructs users to update their DNS cache manually.
Victims are presented with two options: “How to fix” and “Details.” While the “Details” option leads to a legitimate Microsoft Learn page, the “How to fix” option guides users through a series of steps, including opening a PowerShell terminal and pasting a Base64-encoded command. This command sequence initiates a series of actions, such as flushing the DNS cache, creating a folder on the C: drive, downloading an archive file, and executing a malicious script using AutoIt3.exe. The attackers have targeted users in the United States, South Korea, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
The OneDrive Pastejacking campaign is part of a broader trend in phishing attacks that exploit user trust in familiar platforms. Similar tactics, collectively referred to as “ClickFix,” have been documented by cybersecurity firms such as ReliaQuest, Proofpoint, and McAfee Labs. These attacks often use convincing replicas of trusted websites and services to trick users into executing malicious code or divulging sensitive information. In this case, the attackers’ use of a legitimate-looking OneDrive interface underscores the growing sophistication of phishing campaigns.
The discovery of this campaign comes amid increasing reports of email-based social engineering attacks. Recent incidents have included the distribution of bogus Windows shortcut files leading to malicious payloads hosted on Discord’s Content Delivery Network and phishing emails that use Microsoft Office Forms to harvest Microsoft 365 credentials. Cybercriminals continue to innovate, employing methods like masquerading malware as ZIP archive attachments containing MPEG files to bypass Secure Email Gateways (SEGs). This evolution in phishing techniques highlights the ongoing need for robust cybersecurity measures and user awareness to combat these sophisticated threats.
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