
In DNS poisoning, the IP address is linked to a domain on the attacker’s server. When browsers perform a lookup, they direct users to the IP address listed on a DNS server. Every computer connecting to the internet uses a configured DNS setting, and a DNS server stores the IP address for every domain on the internet. Malware changes the DNS settings on the local computer, redirecting users to a malicious site when they type a domain into the browser. Still, it could render your computer unusable.Īnother method used with pharming is DNS poisoning. Any bugs affecting the malware’s main functionality could render it ineffective at stealing data.


Bugs can cause unintentional crashes, reboots, blue screens of death, and other computer problems.
#Examples of typosquatting software#
The malware should run well, but threat authors rarely test their software and often introduce bugs into the software. The malware installation file must be executed first, and then it can run on the computer after every reboot. Since pharming attacks don’t leverage email, malware is used to redirect users and steal data.
#Examples of typosquatting code#
Instead, the malicious code directs the targeted user to the attacker’s website, eliminating the extra step of a user clicking a link. Because pharming runs code on the victim’s computer, the attacker does not rely on the targeted user clicking a link or replying to an email. Pharming is like phishing in that it is a threat that tricks users into divulging private information, but instead of relying on email as the attack vector, pharming uses malicious code executed on the victim’s device to redirect to an attacker-controlled website.

The ultimate intention behind such attacks is to deceive users into divulging their personal information, such as usernames, passwords, credit card details, or other sensitive data. In pharming attacks, malicious individuals or groups utilize various techniques to deceive users and lead them to counterfeit websites that closely resemble legitimate ones, such as online banking portals, retail shopping platforms, or social media networks. Also known as “pharmaceutical phishing” or “phishing without a lure,” “pharming” is a combination of the words “phishing” and “farming,” indicating the large-scale nature of the attack. Pharming is a term used to describe a type of cyber-attack that redirects users to fraudulent websites or manipulates their computer systems to collect sensitive information.
