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What is Clickjacking? Types, and Examples

What is Clickjacking? Types, and Examples

Let’s have a look at the topics covered in this article:

Before going any further, look at this video, in which our Cybersecurity specialists explain the various Cyber threats.

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 variety of cyberattacks in which an unseen deceptive link is installed over the operating system of a website. Viewers are generally reluctant to identify a click fraud attack since it takes place on an unseen iframe layer crammed on the pinnacle of a specific site. Now that we have understood what clickjacking is, let us dive further to know how exactly clickjacking occurs.

Clickjacking attacks generally take the form of an ad-covered page with what looks like a video player in the middle. Clickjacking is an interface-based attack. Websites are created using HTML language. Several layers are used to display a narrow web page with more content on the same site on a single web page. Several windows are open, each displaying content from a different website. 

A tag called iframe in the HTML language allows for this concept of multiple layers. This tag is used by web page developers to create web pages that are embedded inside another web page. Intruders or hackers are now taking advantage of the iframe tag’s ability to create multiple transparent or opaque layers on a website. Now intruders or hackers exploit the function of the iframe tag by creating several transparent or opaque layers on a website. Clickjacking is usually carried out over ads.

They create buttons for other malicious websites. They trick users to click on the link or button. 

Clickjacking Example

  1. The hacker creates an appealing page with the promise of giving the user a complimentary smartwatch.
  2. 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.
  3. The user comes to the website in the hopes of receiving a free smartwatch. 
  4. The user clicks on the button “avail Smartwatch”.
  5. In actuality, the customer has clicked the “Approve Transfer” button after tapping on the hidden iframe. The payments are sent to the attacker.
  6. 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.

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A 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

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.

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.

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.

The download of malicious software

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.

Scams involving money transfers

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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Preventing Clickjacking Attack

Clickjacking prevention can be done in 3 ways:

  1. 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.
  1. 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.
  1. 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.

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About the Author

Lead Penetration Tester

Shivanshu is a distinguished cybersecurity expert and Penetration tester. He specialises in identifying vulnerabilities and securing critical systems against cyber threats. Shivanshu has a deep knowledge of tools like Metasploit, Burp Suite, and Wireshark.