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Fake CAPTCHAs Now Cybercrime's Top Lure
24 Feb
Summary
- Malicious CAPTCHAs are a growing threat, replacing browser update lures.
- Cybercriminal campaigns often deploy Trojans, info-stealers, and spyware.
- Fake CAPTCHAs can trick users into downloading malware via simple commands.
Fake CAPTCHA challenges are emerging as a prevalent cybercrime tactic, rapidly supplanting older methods like malicious browser update lures. CrowdStrike's 2026 Global Threat Report indicates a dramatic 563% surge in CAPTCHA-based lures during 2025 compared to the previous year. These deceptive challenges exploit the varying designs of CAPTCHAs to trick unsuspecting users into downloading malware or navigating to dangerous phishing websites.
Attackers leverage social engineering, presenting seemingly simple instructions that, when followed, lead to the execution of malicious payloads. For instance, users might be prompted to copy and paste commands into system dialogs, which inadvertently triggers the download of Trojans, information stealers, or spyware. This method bypasses standard anti-phishing protections because the user initiates the download themselves.
In some instances, fake CAPTCHAs may present "errors" and direct users to alternative, spoofed web pages. A notable example involved a fake CAPTCHA mimicking the Cloudflare logo, instructing users to copy and paste a command-line instruction for "manual verification." Executing this command resulted in the download of Trojan:PowerShell/FakeCaptcha, designed to steal sensitive information from the user's machine.
