Kevin RussellJul 6, 2023

WARNING: Phishing Attacks, HTML markup to hide urls, are now in Mastodon.

While Mastodon does not have markup to allow hiding urls, they share API with "friendica" and friendica ALLOW HIDING URLS.

And friendica accounts can post on Mastodon.
I have asked for a solution, none is forthcoming.

Click NO LINKS that come friendica. Be wary of links on Mastodon, as if Mastodon were "email" - without any protections.

Multiple reports of other fediverse branches allow hiding urls. No Clicking links

Show threadShimriez
@Kevin Russell @KrissyKat 🏳️‍⚧️ Stop to think a moment. Which is the most well-known software in the Fediverse? That would be the first place to look for suspicious activities. You make it sound lik e "hiding urls" is something very suspicious. Would it be so strange if I wanted a 4 row link to an article to just show the title of the article instead?
I am not saying a bad actor couldn't use Friendica. Or any other software where this is perfectly normal. But my bet would be on something more well known. A warning is good - panic not so much.
Jul 6, 2023 at 8:51pmWeb
Show threadKevin RussellJul 6, 2023

@shimriez

Online security is layer after layer after layer of protections.
Clear visible URLs is the most basic of protections.

"What is phishing and how dangerous is it?"
News - By Darren Allan - last updated June 24, 2022 👈
It’s one type of threat that really shouldn’t be underestimated
https://www.techradar.com/news/what-is-phishing-and-how-dangerous-is-it

"Three common types of phishing scams"
https://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/en/blogs/three-common-types-phishing-scams

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams

"Shortcut LNK Files May Contain Malware"
https://www.opswat.com/blog/shortcut-lnk-files-may-contain-malware

What is phishing and how dangerous is it?

This is a threat that should not be underestimated.

TechRadar pro