

WEBSITE MONITOR BROKEN LINKS SECURITY CODE
The possibility to execute attacker-supplied code basically makes this a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability, which Bugcrowd classifies as a P2 (high risk) issue. Place ads on the website to generate money (ad-jacking).Use the visitor’s computer to mine cryptocurrencies (crypto-jacking).Look for and exploit any security vulnerabilities in the visitor’s browser or the browser’s plugins.Redirect the visitor to another website.Steal the session cookie to gain access to the visitor’s account.Capture passwords, bank details, or other sensitive information the visitor enters on the site and send that info to another server.Here are a few examples of how an attacker could exploit this vulnerability: You might ask what harm could come from some extra JavaScript code. If you have embedded an external script into your website (using code like this: ) and the link’s domain name gets taken over, an attacker can inject arbitrary code into the site. Links to subdomains that are no longer in use and are vulnerable to a Subdomain Takeover.ĭepending on how the hijacked link is embedded into the website’s code, there are different ways to exploit the vulnerability, with varying levels of risks.Links to deleted accounts on social media or blogging platforms that can be reclaimed.Links to expired or parked domains that are available to register or purchase.Typical candidates for link hijacking include: This is one form of an attack called Broken Link Hijacking.īroken Link Hijacking is an exploit in which an attacker gains control over the target of a broken link.

A third-party could snatch up the expired domain and serve malicious JavaScript code under this URL. There would be millions of websites left with obsolete script code that attempts to load and run code from. Imagine what could happen if Google shuts down their Analytics service and later lets the domain expire. At worst, it can pose a security threat to anyone visiting the website. Companies go out of business, servers are shut down, blog posts get deleted, domains expire… the web is dynamic, and there are lots of reasons why a link that works today might stop working tomorrow.Īt best, a broken link is merely annoying and results in a poor user experience. Unfortunately, unlike diamonds, links are not forever. They connect web resources with each other and make it possible for visitors to navigate between pages and allow pages to reference images and other content. Links are the very foundation of the web.

Broken Link Hijacking: How Broken Links Can Be a Security Risk
