Cyber news: ClickFix targets children and teenagers

Romania's National Cybersecurity Directorate (DNSC) is warning children and teenagers about an increasingly widespread online fraud method. The attack, known as ClickFix, is unusual in that the perpetrators do not hack into the victim's computer directly, but instead trick the user into running the malicious command on their own device.

The DNSC compares the method to the bear tricked by the fox in Ion Creangă's fairy tale. The fox doesn't force the bear to stick its tail into the frozen water, but convinces it that doing so will let it catch plenty of fish. The ClickFix attack uses the same kind of manipulation: the attacker appears to be helping, but in reality gets the victim to carry out the action needed to infect their own computer. Users typically see a seemingly official message telling them they need to verify they are not a robot, fix a system error, or complete a few “mandatory” steps to restore some service. The instructions ask them to copy a command and paste it into Windows PowerShell, Command Prompt, or a terminal window. The pasted code, however, can install malicious software, give the attacker access to the computer, or allow them to obtain passwords, personal data, or other sensitive information. The attack is particularly dangerous because the code is launched by the user themselves, which means some security systems may see the action as legitimate activity.

The scammers mainly exploit the victim's trust, curiosity, and impatience. They often create a sense of urgency, claiming that the instructions must be carried out immediately or else the user will lose access to an account, be unable to open the desired content, or their device will malfunction. The DNSC warns that no one should paste unknown commands into PowerShell, Command Prompt, or any other system tool simply because a website tells them to. Messages that frame technical steps as “urgent” or “mandatory” should be treated with particular suspicion; anyone who doesn't fully understand what action they're being asked to perform should stop the process and seek help instead.

The warning is part of the DNSC's “Fairy Tales with a Digital Lesson” campaign, which uses well-known stories to teach children and teenagers to recognize online threats. Cybersecurity incidents detected in Romania can be reported around the clock via the 1911 phone line or through the PNRISC reporting platform.

Source: G4Media