Hackers Tarket URL Shortening Site

Hackers Tarket URL Shortening Site

Cybercriminals have taken aim on Cligs URL shortening site, redirecting 2.2 million links to the Orange County Register newspaper website. 
 

Sophos senior technology consultant Graham Cluley said, “Normally most hacking attacks we see today are all about money. 

 

 “Normally, you'd see a redirect to a site that installs malware or some other money-maker. But there is no evidence of that at all," he added.

 

Sophos has not determined the reason behind the hack; however, the security company is looking into a failed distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.

 

“It could have been a mistake. They could have wanted to redirect people to one place, but misspelled something and sent everyone to the wrong place," Cluley explained.

 

Cluley also pointed that hackers could have employed Cligs' security flaw, allowing them to edit links. He then suggested that users should use a browser plug-in or a script that automatically expands shortened URLs.