#FactCheck: Phishing Scam on Jio is offering a ₹700 Holi reward through a promotional link

Introduction

Web applications are essential in various sectors, including online shopping, social networks, banking, and healthcare systems. However, they also pose numerous security threats, including Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), a client-side code injection vulnerability. XSS attacks exploit the trust relationship between users and websites, allowing them to change web content, steal private information, hijack sessions, and gain full control of user accounts without breaking into the core server. This vulnerability is part of the OWASP Top 10 Web Application Security Risks.

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What is Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)?

An XSS attack occurs when an attacker injects client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. When users visit the affected pages, their browsers naively execute the inserted scripts. The exploit takes advantage of web applications that allow users to submit content without properly sanitising inputs or encoding outputs. These scripts can cause a wide range of damage, including but not limited to stealing session cookies for session hijacking, redirecting users to malicious sites, logging keystrokes to capture credentials, and altering the DOM to display fake or phishing content.

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How Does XSS Work?

1. Injection: A malicious user submits code through a website input, like a comment or form.
2. Execution: The submitted code runs automatically in the browsers of other users who view the page.
3. Exploitation:The attacker can steal session information, capture credentials, redirect users, or modify the page content.

The fundamental cause behind the XSS vulnerabilities is the application of:

• Accepting trusted input from the users.  
• After users' input, web pages have the strings embedded without any sanitisation.  
• Not abiding by security policies like Content Security Policy (CSP).  

With such vulnerabilities, attackers can generate malicious payloads like:  <script>alert('XSS');</script>  

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This code might seem simple, but its execution provides the attacker with the possibility to do the following:  

• Copy session tokens through hidden HTTP requests.  
• From attacker-controlled domains, load attacker scripts.  
• Change the DOM structure to show fake login forms for phishing.

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Types of XSS Attacks: XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks can occur in three main variations: 

1. Stored XSS: This type of attack occurs when an attacker injects an administered payload into the database or a message board. The script then runs whenever a user visits the affected board.
2. Reflected XSS: In this attack, the danger lies in a parameter of the URL. Its social engineering techniques are attacks, in which it requires tricking people to click on a specially designed link. For example:
3. DOM-Based XSS: This technique injects anything harmful without the need for server-side scripts, in contrast to other approaches. It targets JavaScript client-side scripts such as `document.write` and `innerHTML`. Without carrying out any safety checks, these scripts will alter the page's look (DOM stands for Document Object Model). If the hash is given a malicious string, it is run directly within the browser.

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What Makes XSS a Threat?  

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A Cross-Site Scripting attack is only a primary attack vector, and can lead to significant damage that includes the following: 

• Statement Hijacking. This uses scripts to steal cookies, which are then used to pose as authorized users.  
• Theft of Credentials. Users’ passwords and usernames are wrenched from keystroke trackers.  
• Phishing. Users are prompted with deceitful login forms that are used to capture sensitive details.  
• Website Vandalism. Modified website material lowers the esteem of the brand.  
• Monetary and Legal Consequences. There are compounding effects to GDPR and DPDP Act compliance in case of Data breaches, which incur penalties and fines.  ‍

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Incidents in the Real World  

In 2021, an XSS Stored attack occurred on a famous e-commerce platform eBay, through their product review system. The malicious JavaScript code was set to trigger every time an infected product page was accessed by customers. This caused a lot of problems, including account takeovers, unauthorised purchases, and damage to the company’s reputation. This example further worsens the fact that even reputed platforms can be targeted by XSS attacks.

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How to Prevent XSS?

Addressing XSS vulnerabilities demands attention to detail and coordinated efforts across functions, as illustrated in the steps below:

 Input Validation and Output Encoding:

• Ensure input validation is in place on the client and server.
• Perform output encoding relative to context: HTML: <, >, &.
• JavaScript: Escape quotes and slashes

Content Security Policy (CSP): CSP allows scripts to be executed only from the verified sources, which helps diminish the odds of harmful scripts running on your website. For example, the Header in the code could look to some degree like this: Content-Security-Policy: script-src 'self';

Unsafe APIs should be dodged: Avoid the use of document.write(), innerHTML, and eval(), and make sure to use:

• TextContent for inserting text.
• CreateElement() and other DOM creation methods for structured content.

Secure Cookies: Apply the HttpOnly and Secure cookie flags to block JavaScript access. 

Framework Protections: Use the protective features in frameworks such as:

• React, which escapes data embedded in JSX automatically.
• Angular, which uses context-aware sanitisation.

Periodic Security Assessment:

• Use DAST tools to test the security posture of an application.
• Perform thorough penetration testing and security-oriented code reviews.

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‍Best Practices for Developers: Assume a Secure Development Lifecycle (SDLC) integrating XSS stoppage at each point.

• Educate developers on OWASP secure coding guidelines.
• Automate scanning for vulnerabilities in CI/CD pipelines.

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‍Conclusion:

To reduce the potential danger of XSS, both developers and companies must be diligent in their safety initiatives, ranging from using Content Security Policies (CSP) to verifying user input. Web applications can shield consumers and the company from the subtle but long-lasting threat of Cross-Site Scripting if security controls are implemented during the web application development stage and regular vulnerability scans are conducted.

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References

• https://owasp.org/www-community/attacks/xss/
• https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cyberpedia/xss-cross-site-scripting
• https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Cross-site_scripting
• https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/security/threats/cross-site-scripting/

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Introduction‍

Netizens across the globe have been enjoying the fruits of technological advancements in the digital century. Our personal and professional life has been impacted deeply by the new technologies. The previous year we saw an exponential rise in blockchain integration and the applications of Web 3.0. There is no denying that the Covid-19 pandemic caused a rapid rise in technology and internet penetration all across the globe, bringing the world closer with respect to connectivity and the exchange of ideas and knowledge. Tech advancements have definitely made our lives easier, but the same has also opened the doors to various vulnerabilities and new potential threats. As cyberspace expands, so do the vulnerabilities associated with it, and it is critical we take note of such issues and create safeguards to the extent that such incidents are prevented before they occur. We need to create sustainable and secure cyberspace for future generations.MetaVerse in 2023The metaverse was introduced by Facebook (now Meta) in 2021 as a peak into the future of cyberspace. Since then, tech developers have been working towards arming the metaverse with extraordinary innovations and applications. Netizens came across news like someone bought a house or a plot in the metaverse, someone bought a car in the metaverse, and so on, these news were taken to be the evidence of the netizen’s transition towards the new digital age as we have seen in sci-fi movies. But today this type of news has become history and the metaverse is expanding faster than ever. Let us look at the latest developments and trends in the metaverse-

• Avatar creation - The avatar creation in the metaverse will be a pivotal move as the avatars will represent the user, and essentially it will be the digital, version of the user and will be similar to the user's personal and physical traits to maintain realism in the metaverse.
• Architecture firms - Metaverse has its own set of architects who will be working towards creating your dream home or pro[erty in the metaverse, the heavy code-based services are now being sold just as if they were in the physical space.
• Mining - The metaverse already has companies who are mining gold, silver, petroleum, and other resources for the avatars in the metaverse, for instance, if someone has bought a car in the metaverse, it will still need fuel to run.
• Security firms - These firms are the first line of defenders in the metaverse as they provide tech-based solutions and protocols to secure one’s avatar and belongings in the metaverse.
• Metaverse Police - Interpol, along with its global partner organization has created the metaverse police, who will be working towards creating a safe cyber ecosystem by maintaining compliance with digital laws and ethics.

Advancements beyond metaverse in 2023

‍Technology continues to be a critical force for change in the world. Technology breakthroughs give enterprises more possibilities to lift their productivity and invent offerings. And while it remains difficult to forecast how technology trends will play out, business leaders can plan ahead better by watching the development of new technologies, anticipating how companies could utilize them, and understanding the factors that impact innovation and adoption.

• Applied observability

It advances the practice of pattern recognition. To foresee and identify abnormalities and offer solutions, one must have the capacity to delve deeply into complicated systems and a stream of data. Data fuels this aspect of tech growth in the future.

• Digital Immune System

To ensure that all major systems operate round-the-clock to deliver uninterrupted services, Digital Immune System will combine observability, AI-augmented testing, chaos engineering, site reliability engineering (SRE), and software supply chain security. This will take the efficiency of the systems to a new level.

• Super apps

These represent the upcoming shift in application usage, design, and development, where consumers will utilise a single app to manage most systems in an enterprise ecosystem. Over 50% of the world’s population will utilise super apps on a daily basis to fulfill their daily personal and professional needs.

• AR/VR and BlockChain technology

A combination of better interconnected, safe, and immersive virtual environments where people and businesses may recreate real-life scenarios will be created by combining AR/VR, AI/ML, IoT, and Blockchain, thus creating a new vertical of innovation with keen technologies of Web 3.0.

• AAI

The next level of AI, i.e., Advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI), will revolutionise machine learning, pattern recognition, and computing. It aims to fully automate processes without requiring any manual input, thus eradicating the issues of human error and bad actor influence completely.

• Corporate Metaverse

Aside from its power as a marketing tool, the metaverse promises to provide platforms, tools, and entire virtual worlds where business can be done remotely, efficiently, and intelligently. We can expect to see the metaverse concept merge with the idea of the “digital twin” – virtual simulations of real-world products, processes, or operations that can be used to test and prototype new ideas in the safe environment of the digital domain. From wind farms to Formula 1 cars, designers are recreating physical objects inside virtual worlds where their efficiency can be stress-tested under any conceivable condition without the resource costs that would be incurred by testing them in the physical world.ConclusionIn 2023, we will see more advanced use cases for technology such as motion capture, which will mean that as well as looking and sounding more like us, our avatars will adopt our own unique gestures and body language. We may even start to see further developments in the fields of autonomous avatars – meaning they won't be under our direct control but will be enabled by AI to act as our representatives in the digital world while we ourselves get on with other, completely unrelated tasks. As we go deeper into cyberspace, we need to remember the basic safety practices and inculcate them with respect to cyberspace and work towards creating string policies and legislations to safeguard the digital rights and duties of the netizen to create a wholesome and interdependent cyber ecosystem.

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Executive Summary

A viral image claims that an Israeli helicopter shot down in South Lebanon. This investigation evaluates the possible authenticity of the picture, concluding that it was an old photograph, taken out of context for a more modern setting.

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Claims

The viral image circulating online claims to depict an Israeli helicopter recently shot down in South Lebanon during the ongoing conflict between Israel and militant groups in the region.

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Factcheck:

Upon Reverse Image Searching, we found a post from 2019 on Arab48.com with the exact viral picture.

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Thus, reverse image searches led fact-checkers to the original source of the image, thus putting an end to the false claim.

There are no official reports from the main news agencies and the Israeli Defense Forces that confirm a helicopter shot down in southern Lebanon during the current hostilities.

Conclusion

Cyber Peace Research Team has concluded that the viral image claiming an Israeli helicopter shot down in South Lebanon is misleading and has no relevance to the ongoing news. It is an old photograph which has been widely shared using a different context, fueling the conflict. It is advised to verify claims from credible sources and not spread false narratives.

• Claim: Israeli helicopter recently shot down in South Lebanon
• Claimed On: Facebook
• Fact Check: Misleading, Original Image found by Google Reverse Image Search

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