Cyber security in today's world is one of the biggest necessities of all time. It is important to safeguard the data that is present on the web. With the increasing demand for the internet and the services related to the internet, cyber crimes have become all the more common.
It thus becomes important to protect the data and privacy of individuals, so that people using the internet feel safe while using the internet and related services. Crimes involving the internet also called cyber crimes have become all the more prevalent in modern times.
There are different types of cyber-attacks that are used by hackers to breach the privacy of individuals and harm/ steal their protected confidential data. One such cyber crime we will discuss in this article is the very risky 'Man in the Browser Attack'.
What is Man-in-the-Browser Attack (MitB)?
- Man in the browser is a very dangerous cyber attack. Often it is regarded as another form of 'Man in the Middle attack'.
- Similar to the 'Man in the middle Attack' it involves eavesdropping taking place between two trusted sources. Here, eavesdropping is carried through a web browser.
- The security vulnerabilities of the web browser thus are at risk as they are the target of attackers for data manipulation and stealing of confidential information.
- Man in the Browser Attack is primarily opted by attackers for causing financial harm to users by making money frauds from the user bank account without the user knowing that he is becoming a victim of the Man in the Browser Attack.
How to Perform Man in the Browser Attack:
- 'Man in the Browser Attack' is a form of a cyber attack involving a Trojan Horse that is mostly done for internet financial frauds or say transactions that are done using the internet.
- A Trojan Horse attacks and manipulates the security calls involving banking transactions and financial frauds.
- Trojan Horse involved in the 'Man in the Browser Attack' are SpyEye, Zeus, and Clampi among others.
- The Trojan horse can enter the system through dynamic load library, API, browser extensions, ajax worms, etc.
- Man in the browser attack is extremely risky as the mechanism of Man in the browser attack involves the Trojan Horse which attacks the internet transaction but still displays a successful transaction to the user. This makes it difficult for the user to know that he is been attacked.
Examples of Man-in-the-Browser Attacks
1. Zeus Trojan (Targeted Banking Fraud)
- Yet another of the best-known MitB attacks, Zeus was used to pilfer banking login details by placing fake login boxes onto internet-based banking web pages.
- Real details were then inputted by victims, sent to attackers, and allowed funds to be sent out unauthorized.
2. SpyEye (Credential Theft & Fund Transfers)
- SpyEye worked similarly to Zeus but automated banking transfer forms to transfer money unbeknownst to users.
- It was used on mass-scale financial scams and even disabled antivirus tools to go undetected.
3. Dridex (Business Email & Banking Attacks)
- Dridex targeted companies and financial organizations, injecting evil scripts into web browsers to swipe logins and drain company funds.
4. Ursnif (Credit Card Info Stealing & Online Payments)
- This malware steals payment details when users enter them on shopping sites, swiping credit card numbers, CVVs, and billing addresses
5. TrickBot (Data Exfiltration & Fraud)
- TrickBot changed bank statements brought to victims and showed that illegal actions had never been taken on their money during the process of stealing it.
Key Signs of a Man-in-the-Browser Attack
1. Unusual Login Prompts: Additional login form fields or requests for personal data (such as security questions or PINs) that a site would not typically require.
2. Slow or Lagging Browser Performance: If your browser slowly becomes slow or crashes repeatedly, it could be an indication of an injected script running in the background.
3. Redirects to Spoofed Webpages: You go to a legitimate bank or shopping website but are redirected to a slightly different URL, and your login information is hijacked.
4. Missing Account Notifications: If your online service or bank is no longer sending out notifications (such as login alerts or transaction approvals), they might have been disabled by the attackers.
5. Unauthorized Transactions: Inappropriate withdrawals, buys, or transfers from your account can indicate MitB malware that is intercepting and tampering with transactions.
Prevention from Man in the Browser Attack:
The different ways of preventing 'Man in the browser attack' are listed below:
- The best way to prevent a 'Man in the browser attack' involves making use of the 'Out of Band (OOB) Transaction verification' mechanism. The 'Out of Band (OOB) mechanism involves verifying the transactions by sending verification codes on mobile devices to authenticate the transaction.
- Refrain from downloading pirated software.
- Never click on unknown links received in the email.
- Make sure to have an updated version of anti-virus installed in your computer systems.
- Be vigilant to check the common Trojan locations. Trojan mostly resides in C:/Program File or C:/Windows/Temp.
- Always buy verified software for your computer system and keep them updated according to market needs.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity is no longer an option but a necessity in today's world. As cybercrime is on the rise, threats such as Man-in-the-Browser (MitB) are dangerous enough to threaten financial security, data privacy, and online transactions. Trojans such as Zeus, SpyEye, and TrickBot are used by hackers to hijack browsers, steal banking details, and make unauthorized payments without the victim's consent.
The economic cost of cybercrime is staggering, with estimated damages of $10.5 trillion per year by 2025 (Cybersecurity Ventures). MitB attacks are usually undetected, which makes them one of the most threatening types of cyber attacks. Symptoms such as strange login requests, slow browser response, missing notifications, and unauthorized transactions are indicative of potential compromise.