Url Spoof
Spoofed URL – Wikipedia
A spoofed URL describes one website that poses as another website. It sometimes applies a mechanism that exploits bugs in web browser technology, allowing a malicious computer attack. Such attacks are most effective against computers that lack recent security patches. Others are designed for the purpose of a parody.
During such an attack, a computer user innocently visits a website and sees a familiar URL in the address bar such as but is, in reality, sending information to an entirely different location that would typically be monitored by an information thief. When sensitive information is requested by a fraudulent website, it is called phishing.
The user is typically enticed to the false website from an email or a hyperlink from another website.
In another variation, a website may look like the original, but is in fact a parody of it. These are mostly harmless, and are more noticeably different from the original, as they usually do not exploit bugs in web browser technology.
Redirects can also take place in a hosts file, redirecting from legitimate site(s) to another IP, that of the spoofed URL.
Cyber security[edit]
Spoofing is the act of deception or hoaxing. [1] URLs are the address of a resource (as a document or website) on the Internet that consists of a communications protocol followed by the name or address of a computer on the network and that often includes additional locating information (as directory and file names). [2] Simply, a spoofed URL is a web address that illuminates an immense amount of deception through its ability to appear as an original site, despite it not being one. In order to prevent falling victim to the prevalent scams stemmed from the spoofed URLs, major software companies have come forward and advised techniques to detect and prevent spoofed URLs.
SSL handshake with two way authentication with certificates
Detection[edit]
In order to prevent criminals from accessing personal information, such as credit card information, bank account/routing numbers, and one’s telephone number, home address, etc. it is important to learn and understand how these spoof URLs can be detected. It is very important to first verify the name of the site on a digital certification through the use of SSL/TLS. Always try to identify the actual URL for the web page you are on. Make sure you are able to see the full URL for any hyperlink, so that you can examine the address. Some characters that are commonly found in spoofed URLs are:%00, %01, @. Sometimes the URLs can differ by a single letter or number. In addition, set your Internet security level to high to ensure that your computer is protected from possible attacks from spoofed sites. In general, only input personal information on a Website if the name has been verified on the digital certificate. Also, if you have any concern about the confidentiality of a website leave the page immediately. [3]
Prevention[edit]
Spoofed URLs, a universal defining identity for phishing scams, pose a serious threat to end-users and commercial institutions. Email continues to be the favorite vehicle to perpetrate such scams mainly due to its widespread use combined with the ability to easily spoof them. [4] Several approaches, both generic and specialized, have been proposed to address this problem. However, phishing techniques, growing in ingenuity as well as sophistication, render these solutions weak. In order to prevent users from future victimization stemmed from a spoofed URL, Internet vigilantes have published numerous tips to help users identify a spoof. The most common are: using authentication based on key exchange between the machines on your network, using an access control list to deny private IP addresses on your downstream interface, implementing filters of both inbound and outbound traffic, configuring routers and switches if they support such configuration, to reject packets originating from outside the local network that claim to originate from within, and enable encryption sessions in the router so that trusted hosts that are outside your network can securely communicate with your local hosts. [5] Ultimately, protection comes from the individual user. Keeping up with new spoofing techniques or scams will readily allow one to identify a scam and most importantly keep information secure and personal.
Spoofed URL contributing to PayPal phishing scam
Susceptible targets[edit]
PayPal, an e-commerce business allows money transactions to be made through the Internet and is a common target for spoofed URLs. This forgery of a legitimate PayPal website allows hackers to gain personal and financial information and thus, steal money through fraud. Along with spoof or fake emails that appear with generic greetings, misspellings, and a false sense of urgency, spoofed URLs are an easy way for hackers to violate one’s PayPal privacy. For example,, includes the name, but is a spoofed URL designed to deceive. Remember to always log into PayPal through a new window browser and never log in through email. In the case that you do receive a suspected spoofed URL, forward the entire email to to help prevent the URL from tricking other PayPal users. [6]
Common crimes[edit]
A major crime associated with spoofed URLs is identity theft. The thief will create a website very similar in appearance to that of a popular site, then when a user accesses the spoofed URL, they can inadvertently give the thief their credit card and personal details. Their spoofed URLs might use “too good to be true” prices to lure more and more looking for a good deal. Crimes like these happen quite often, and most frequently during the festive holidays and other heavy online shopping periods of the year. [7]
Another crime associated with spoofed URLs is setting up a fake anti-malware software. An example of this would be Ransomware, fake anti-malware software that locks up important files for the computer to run, and forces the user to pay a ransom to get the files back. If the user refuses to pay after a certain period of time, the Ransomware will delete the files from the computer, essentially making the computer unusable. Ads for these programs usually appear on popular websites, such as dating sites or social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. They can also come in the form of attachments to emails.
Phishing scams are also another major way that users can get tricked into scams (see below).
Phishing[edit]
Phishing is a scam by which an e-mail user is duped into revealing personal or confidential information which the scammer can use illicitly. [8] Phishing is the action of fraudsters sending an email to an individual, hoping to seek private information used for identity theft, by falsely asserting to be a reputable legal business. Phishing is performed through emails containing a spoofed URL, which links them to a website. Since it usually appears in the form on an email, it is crucial to not rely just on the address in the “from” field in order to prevent phishing. Computer users should also look out for spelling mistakes within the website’s URLs, as this is another common sign to look out for in a phishing email. [9] The website whose URLs are in the e-mails requests individuals to enter personal information so businesses can update it in their system. This information often includes passwords, credit card numbers, social security, and bank account numbers. In turn, the email recipients are giving these fake businesses their information the real businesses already have.
See also[edit]
Computer insecurity
Hosts File
IDN homograph attack
Internet fraud prevention
Social engineering (computer security)
Spoofing attack
References[edit]
^ “Spoof”. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
^ “URL”. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
^ “Steps that you can take to help identify and to help protect yourself from deceptive (spoofed) websites and malicious hyperlinks”. Microsoft support. October 13, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
^ Madhusudhanan Chandrasekaran; Ramkumar Chinchani; Shambhu Upadhyaya. “Phoney: Mimicking User Response to Detect Phishing Attacks”: 1–5. doi:10. 1109/WOWMOM. 2006. 87.
^ Jonathan Hassel (June 8, 2006). “The top five ways to prevent IP spoofing”. Computerworld. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
^ “How to spot fake, fraudulent, spoof, or phishing emails”. PayPal. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
^ “New E-Scams & Warnings”. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
^ “Phishing”. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
^ “Phishing and Spoofing – Your Guide to Protect Against Them”. Adweb Technologies Pvt Ltd. June 27, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
What is URL Spoofing? 2021 Explanation | NordVPN
What is URL spoofing? A spoofed URL is a fraudulent link that is masked to look like a legitimate source in order to steal your data. Sometimes, just clicking on a spoofed URL is enough to infect your device with malware. Other times, the website will be designed to look identical to one you way you won’t question it when asked to enter sensitive information such as your email, password or your home address. However, your data will be sent directly to the hacker instead, who can then use it to steal your money or identity. Spoofed websites wouldn’t work without any traffic. That’s why they are usually distributed via phishing attacks. A link to the spoofed website is embedded in an email or a text message and then sent to thousands of people. The scams use bait to get you hooked, like an irresistible discount. All you have to do is click on the link. Examples of the most common spoofing attacksHackers have found many ways to create spoofed URLs and use them in malicious attacks. Let’s have a look at the 4 most common types of URL spoofing:Links behind buttons or wordsThe oldest trick in the hacker’s book is to send a phishing email pretending to be a trusted source and hyperlinking malicious link to buttons or words. Lazy hackers still do it these days. Thankfully it’s quite easy to spot it. Simply hover over hyperlinked words or right click on it to see the might receive an email from your favorite airline offering you cheap flights. All you need to do is click on the green button saying ‘Book Now. ’ However, once you click on it, it will take you to a malicious website which will almost instantly install Trojan or another virus onto your device. Misspelled linksPeople tend to skim read messages, which means that hackers can send phishing emails with links designed to look just like trusted ones. It’s enough for hackers to change only one character to register a new domain! Imagine receiving an email from Netflix, for example, asking you to confirm your payment details. When you hover over the link, you see a URL very similar to, but it’s actually ‘’ or ‘’ (only hypothetical examples). If you just skim your message, you will most likely miss that little difference and click on the link. URL shortenersAnother common way to spoof URLs is by using URL shorteners like and the likes. Some social media platforms limit characters per post (or for text messaging), so short links are a great solution. However, they also make it easier for scammers to hide malicious links. It’s almost impossible to tell where this shortened URL is going to take you until you click on it. Links with non-Latin charactersThe use of new scripts to register domains has created even more opportunities for hackers to steal your information. Now they can use non-latin characters to create homographic URLs. This means that spoofed URLs can now use letters with accents, glyphs, diacritics, and more. For example, could become ņ letters might look just like their Latin counterparts despite coming from a different alphabet. The internet will recognize them as entirely different characters and will allow hackers to register a new domain. These URLs are especially challenging to detect. How to recognize a spoofed linkBefore you click on any links, hover over them with your mouse to see the for spelling mistakes as well as accents, glyphs or the URL seems correct, but the deal sounds too good to be true, it might still be a phishing attack. Enter the official company’s URL into your address bar and check if they are really offering that fantastic deal. If you want to be super cautious, drop them a direct email or call them. Never reply to the email you received! If you clicked on a seemingly legitimate link and the website looks just like the trusted source, you should still check whether it’s an HTTPS website. If not – leave precautionary steps – update your web browser and your antivirus. They will usually be able to block malicious content even if you clicked on it. Hackers will continue to use spoofed links to trick you into thinking that they are well-known e-commerce platforms like eBay or Paypal. Keep an eye out for news about the latest scams and to read more like this? Get the latest news and tips from ‘ve successfully subscribed to our newsletter! Email is invalidWe won’t spam and you will always be able to unsubscribe.
Emily Green
Verified author
Emily Green is a content writer who loves to investigate the latest internet privacy and security news. She thrives on looking for solutions to problems and sharing her knowledge with NordVPN readers and customers.
What is Domain Spoofing? | Barracuda Networks
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Table of Contents
What is Domain Spoofing?
Why Domain Spoofing is Important
Learn More About Domain Spoofing
Domain spoofing, a common form of phishing, occurs when an attacker appears to use a company’s domain to impersonate a company or one of its employees.
This can be done by sending emails with false domain names which appear legitimate, or by setting up websites with slightly altered characters that read as correct. Commonly, a spoof website or email will use logos, or any other kind of accurate visual design to effectively imitate the styling and branding of a legitimate enterprise or business. Users will commonly be prompted to enter financial details or other sensitive data, trusting that they are being sent to the right place.
Domain Spoofing Classifications
Email Spoofing: forging of an email header so that the message seems to originate from someone or somewhere different from the actual source. Email spoofing is a scheme used in both phishing and spam campaigns because users don’t want to open an email if they don’t trust the legitimacy of the source. The purpose of email spoofing is to trick recipients into opening, or even corresponding with a solicitation.
Website spoofing: Website spoofing is the act of building a fake website with the goal of misleading users, gaining their trust, and assuming the identity of a legitimate group or organization. The spoof website will frequently adopt the design of the target website and sometimes mimic the URL with alternate characters. A more sophisticated attack can involve the perpetrator building a ‘shadow’ version of the World Wide Web by routing all of the user’s web traffic through the attackers console. This type of attack captures all of the victims sensitive information. Another method used by domain spoofing attackers is to use a cloaked URL. By using domain forwarding, or inserting control characters, the URL can appear to be genuine while concealing the address of the actual website.
Email Spoofing Solutions
Email spoofing is possible because the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) does not provide a mechanism for address authentication. Although email address authentication protocols and mechanisms have been specified to battle email spoofing, adoption of those mechanisms has been slow.
Sender Policy Framework (SPF): an email validation system, SPF allows domain managers to authorize individual hosts to use a domain in email. This list of approved domain names in protected, and can be used to verify authenticity.
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC): is an email authentication protocol based on reporting and enforcement components. Built on two components, reporting and enforcement. Through reporting, DMARC can automate authenticity verification, and alert administrators to false email domains immediately. When false domains are used DMARC will stop the email from entering the inbox.
DomainKeys Identified Mail: (DKIM) which provides a way to validate a domain name identity associated with a message. When a message is built, a digital signature is added to the email to ensure authenticity. DKIM does not offer filtering capabilities, but can be used to guarantee legitimacy of the message.
Sender ID (SID): a protocol based largely on SPF and promoted by Microsoft, SID is built into exchange servers, by reading the SMTP header. The service the queries the DNS records to verify the sender’s address.
Experts recommend that users only access financial sites and other sensitive sites directly through a main page or other verified avenue in order to avoid being cheated by a spoof website. According to the FTC, over 96% of companies operating today suffer from domain spoofing attacks in one form or another. Therefore, having the right solutions in place to protect against the possibility of an attack is a necessity for any person or business.
Related Terms
Spear Phishing
Malware
Ransomware
DMARC Authentication
How Barracuda Can Help
Barracuda Sentinel helps protect your brand by stopping domain spoofing and unauthorized activity. It offers an intuitive wizard to help you set up DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting & Conformance) for unmatched protection.
Using advanced threat-protection techniques like Mail Protocol (SMTP) Checking, Sender Spoof Protection, and Domain Keys (DKIM) Inspection, the Barracuda Email Security Gateway is well suited for protection against Domain Spoofing attacks.
Do you have more questions about Domain Spoofing? Contact us today.
Frequently Asked Questions about url spoof
Can you spoof URL?
A spoofed URL is a fraudulent link that is masked to look like a legitimate source in order to steal your data. Sometimes, just clicking on a spoofed URL is enough to infect your device with malware. Other times, the website will be designed to look identical to one you trust.Jan 2, 2021
What is domain spoof?
Domain spoofing, a common form of phishing, occurs when an attacker appears to use a company’s domain to impersonate a company or one of its employees. This can be done by sending emails with false domain names which appear legitimate, or by setting up websites with slightly altered characters that read as correct.
What is spoof attack?
Spoofing is when an attacker impersonates an authorized device or user to steal data, spread malware, or bypass access control systems. There are many different types of spoofing, with three of the most common being: IP address spoofing – Attacker sends packets over the network from a false IP address.
