twistcmyk:

a daily occurrence

(via gentlelarkspur)

elfgrove:

elfgrove:

New Things to Beware on the Internet

On May 3rd, Google released 8 new top-level domains (TLDs) – these are new values like .com, .org, .biz, domain names. These new TLDs were made available for public registration via any domain registrar on May 10th.

Usually, this should be a cool info, move on with your life and largely ignore it moment.

Except a couple of these new domain names are common file type extensions: “.zip” and “.mov”.

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This means typing out a file name could resolve into a link that takes you to one of these new URLs, whether it’s in an email, on your tumblr blog post, a tweet, or in file explorer on your desktop.

What was previously plain text could now resolve as link and go to a malicious website where people are expecting to go to a file and therefore download malware without realizing it.

Folk monitoring these new domain registrations are already seeing some clearly malicious actors registering and setting this up. Some are squatting the domain names trying to point out what a bad idea this was. Some already trying to steal your login in credentials and personal info.

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This is what we’re seeing only 12 days into the domains being available. Only 5 days being publicly available.

What can you do? For now, be very careful where you type in .zip or .mov, watch what website URLs you’re on, don’t enable automatic downloads, be very careful when visiting any site on these new domains, and do not type in file names without spaces or other interrupters.

I’m seeing security officers for companies talking about wholesale blocking .zip and .mov domains from within the company’s internet, and that’s probably wise.

Be cautious out there.

I really want to reiterate how this can go wrong frequently and fast, folks.

A malicious actor sets up a page with an auto-downloader squatting on a domain name that matches a common zip file name like photos DOT zip. This website is set up to start an auto downloader upon being visited, downloading a zip file with the same name as the URL which contains malicious software (virus, worm, keylogger, etc).

Scenario.

Someone you know well sends you an email or text with promised photos attached. The email even reads something like this.

Because .zip is now a TLD, that plain text is automatically formatted into a link to malicious actor’s website without them having to send you anything.

Folk with family with iPhones or iPads that are sent multiple photos in one go might be familiar with iCloud’s tendency to automatically compile them into zip file for the sender and less savvy tech users have trouble NOT doing that.

These same less savvy users, or even just someone just not thinking in the moment, will click that .zip link, not realizing it isn’t the the same as clicking on the promised attachment.

They download a file that matches the name they expected. They open it because they were expecting that file and it’s from a trusted source. Except the file they downloaded isn’t the one that was sent by their trusted source and now they have malware.

Another Scenario.

An IT person tries to send you an email with instructions on how to resolve a problem with a commonly used filename like install-repair DOT zip or to install new software like microsoft-office DOT zip.

The email may start with instructions of where to go get the legitimate file to do the install or repair, but now a line later in the instructions is also has a link to a .zip URL. A user, already frazzled by IT problems, may click it to ensure they have the right file. Again, they download malicious code from a squatting website or it prompts them with a fake login and now the squatting website has stolen their login credentials for a legitimate site. All due to an expected email from a trusted source.

Above you can see microsoft-office DOT zip is already out there with a fake Microsoft login screen waiting to steal your credentials.

These risks are already out there now because the TLD has been activated.

Plain text on old post are already being resolved into links to the new websites.

Here you can see a tweet from 2021, long before .zip was a domain name, now resolves that plan text into a clickable link. You’ll start seeing this everywhere, and malicious actors do not have to lift a finger to send it to you.

Yes, a lot of users aren’t going to click that, but a lot of folk will. Whomever is squatting on photos DOT zip domain name has made a one time payment to have access to anyone that ever sees that file name typed out.

In an example of an existing squatter site, clientdocs DOT zip is exactly one such pre-setup .zip domain name that initiates an automatic download. This one may be harmless, but the set ups are already out there and waiting to catch folk.

It’s an unnecessary and risky can of worms that’s been opened up.

Holy Unforced Errors, Batman.

(via jabberwockypie)

celesse:

You might get some bread maybe 🐱🍞✨

(via jabberwockypie)

a-book-of-creatures:

legalise-greenleaf:

maruposting:

This is the standard winged nightjar and it has one singular stupidly big feather on each wing… if you even care.

Love this guy

That’s standard as in “pennant” or “banner”, not standard as in “normal”.

But it’s not a pennant-winged nightjar. THIS is a pennant-winged nightjar… if you even care.

(via seananmcguire)

wanderingwriter87:

definite-human:

oatmealcoloured:

yimra:

:

urbanfantasyinspiration:

officialmacgyver3-deactivated20:

urbanfantasyinspiration:

officialfist:

Okay but these fucking dudes are trying hard to reach an audience and I respect the fuck out of them for it. 12/10 sanitation department of New York City.

I was prepared to cringe but I think this was good

These guys at NYC Sanitation are paid 150k a year and retire on 125k a year pensions til they die……

And they should. God bless them

Salary of public sanitation workers should be more than the salary of any politician

They don’t get those figures until they old af and in certain positions but also like bruh of any job to pay peolle nsane mkney this is a flex

Sanitation is one of the most dangerous jobs out there, and one of the core reasons we have eliminated or diminished many illnesses. Sanitation workers deserve their weight in gold.

Doctors cure individuals of diseases

Sanitation workers protect *entire cities* from diseases

If you genuinely believe that sanitation workers don’t deserve to be well paid, you might need to take a good hard look at your internalized classism

(via seananmcguire)

profeminist:

trans-girl-thirstposting:

captain-snark:

earthybitchywitch:

fuks:

SPITE

dude: we have to

GF: we could just…pretend and make noises by the wall–

dude: *popping cap on lube* No other choice

Legends only

(via seananmcguire)