Have you ever clicked a button online and something unexpected happened? You might have been a victim of clickjacking—a sneaky trick used by cybercriminals to fool you into clicking hidden links. It looks harmless, but behind the scenes, it can lead to stolen information, unauthorized payments, or worse.
In this blog, we’ll break down what clickjacking really is, how it works, real-life examples, and how you can protect yourself and your website from this growing online threat.
Let’s have a look at the topics covered in this article:
What is Clickjacking?
Criminals are becoming more inventive and astute in their criminal activities, resulting in a significant increase in cyber threats.
Clickjacking is a technique for tricking website visitors into clicking on a deleterious link by disguising it as something else.
Clickjacking is a type of cyberattack in which an unseen deceptive link is installed over the surface of a legitimate website. Viewers are generally reluctant to identify a click fraud attack since it takes place on an unseen iframe layer placed on top of a genuine website element.
How Does Clickjacking Work?
Now we know what clickjacking is. Let’s see how it works. Below are the steps outlining the process of clickjacking and how it can be executed to manipulate user interactions on websites.
1. Uses Hidden Layers
Clickjacking attacks generally take the form of an ad-covered page with what looks like a video player or an interactive element in the middle. These attacks are interface-based, meaning they rely on misleading the user through how the interface appears.
2. Exploits HTML & iframe Tags
Websites are created using HTML, and often use multiple layers to display different parts of content on a single web page. Developers use a tag called <iframe> in HTML to embed one webpage inside another.
Hackers exploit this iframe tag functionality by embedding a malicious or legitimate page inside a hidden <iframe> layer.
3. Creates Transparent Layers
Intruders use the <iframe> tag to create transparent or opaque layers stacked over legitimate buttons or inputs on a webpage. This allows attackers to overlay clickable content, so users unknowingly click on something entirely different from what they see.
4. Clicks Trigger Malicious Actions
They create fake buttons that look like “Play,” “Download,” or “Claim Offer” on top of these hidden layers. When users click on these buttons, they’re actually clicking on the hidden content—like approving a transaction, sharing on social media, or initiating a download.
Clickjacking Example
- The hacker creates an appealing page with the promise of giving the user a complimentary smartwatch.
- In the shadow, the fraudster verifies if the user has logged into his banking site and, if so, loads the window that allows funds to be transferred, inserting the attacker’s bank account details into the context utilizing query parameters.
- The user comes to the website in the hopes of receiving a free smartwatch.
- The user clicks on the button “avail Smartwatch”.
- In actuality, the customer has clicked the “Approve Transfer” button after tapping on the hidden iframe. The payments are sent to the attacker.
- The user is taken to a page where they can learn more about the gift (Aware of the background scam)
This example shows in a clickjacking strike, the suspicious intervention cannot be routed back to the attacker since the customer conducted it while logged into their profile legitimately.
Sample Clickjacking Code
CSS is used in clickjacking attacks to create and manipulate layers. The attacker uses an iframe layer overlaid on the decoy website to incorporate the target website. The following is an example of how to use the style tag and parameters:
<head>
<style>
#target_website {
position:relative;
width:128px;
height:128px;
opacity:0.00001;
z-index:2;
}
#decoy_website {
position:absolute;
width:300px;
height:400px;
z-index:1;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id="decoy_website">
...decoy web content here...
</div>
<iframe id="target_website" src="https://vulnerable-website.com">
</iframe>
</body>
Utilizing adequate length and altitude position values, the intended web page iframe is aligned and within the search engine so that the intended intervention and the sniper website intertwine precisely. Despite screen size, user activity, or framework, ultimate and relative position results are used to make sure the right web page appropriately coincides with the malware.
Types of Clickjacking Attacks
Clickjack is vulnerable to all types of attacks. The clickjacking vulnerability is high as it is subjected to a variety of cyber threats. Here are a few clickjacking attacks.
1. Like-jacking
Like-jacking is a technique that manipulates the Facebook “Like” button, triggering consumers to “like” a page they didn’t intend to like. Clickjacking can also happen on Facebook accounts. In 2009, Social media was the target. The attack was recognized as a Twitter post grenade. The Twitter post-nuclear warhead was indeed a constant process in which users clicked on a tweeted link, then clicked a click jacked link in the started opening a web page, which further tweeted the correct source, encouraging their adherents to click on the link.
2. Cursor-jacking
Cursor-jacking is a UI redressing technique that moves the cursor from the user’s perceived position to another. Cursor-jacking is a type of clickjacking attack in which a copy of the actual cursor is developed and connected to it at a specific angle. The redundant mouse pointer is the only thing that can be noticed on the screen. If the attacker knows the customer will tap on a particular portion of the image, they can tactically mitigate the real underlying mouse pointer because when the counterfeit cursor moves to a certain area, a deceptive link has clicked. Because of flaws in Firefox, cursor-jacking was possible. Firefox 30 has been updated to fix these security vulnerabilities.
3. Malicious Downloads
Whenever a customer taps on a hacked link, an intruder can start the download of malicious software. Malware can distort a program’s application or act as a portal for vulnerable determined warnings.
4. Financial Fraud
An attacker uses UI redress to manipulate you into following a button on a devious page that authorizes a transfer of funds from your savings account.
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Clickjacking vs. Phishing
| Feature | Clickjacking | Phishing |
|---|
| Definition | Tricks users into clicking hidden elements | Tricks users into giving up sensitive information |
| Attack Method | Uses invisible iframes or UI manipulation | Uses fake emails, websites, or messages |
| User Awareness | Victim is unaware of the click action | Victim may realize after being asked for credentials |
| Target | User interface and browser interactions | Personal information like passwords, bank details |
| Common Platforms | Websites with iframe support | Emails, fake websites, text messages |
| Primary Objective | Perform unauthorized actions like transfers or shares | Steal sensitive data like logins or financial details |
| Prevention | Use X-Frame-Options, CSP headers | Educate users, use spam filters, verify sources |
Preventing Clickjacking Attack
Clickjacking prevention can be done in 3 ways:
- Structure blowing scripts, a frequently used internet explorer preventative measures mechanism, have been discussed. However, we’ve seen how easy it is for an assailant to get around these safeguards. As a result, server-driven strategies have been designed to limit browser iframe usage and prevent clickjacking.
- Clickjacking is a browser-side behavior whose achievement is determined by internet explorer functionality as well as adherence to current web standards and best practices. Identifying and interacting restraints about the use of modules such as iframes provides server-side protection against clickjacking.
- Using the X-Frame-Options rebuttal identifier to prevent clickjacking. The X-Frame-Options response header is included in an internet publication’s HTTP response and indicates whether a computer must be allowed to represent a page inside a FRAME> or IFRAME> tag.
The X-Frame-Options header can have one of three values:
- DENY – prevents any domain from displaying this page in a frame.
- SAMEORIGIN – makes the process page to be framed inside a page, but only within the identical arena.
- ALLOW-FROM URI – makes the process page to be framed, only in a specific Dir – for example, www.example.com/frame-page.
Conclusion
Clickjacking is a variety of cyberattacks in which an unseen deceptive link is installed over the operating system of a website. Clickjacking can also happen on Facebook accounts. The attack was recognized as a Twitter post grenade. Cursorjacking is a UI redressing technique that moves the cursor from the user’s perceived position to another. Identifying and interacting restraints about the use of modules such as iframes provides server-side protection against clickjacking.