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Web-based Threats-2018 Q4: France Rises to \#1 for Malicious URL Hosting, US \#1 for Phishing ![Clock Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-clock.svg) 6 min read * ![Profile Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-profile-grey.svg) By: * [Bo Qu](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/bo-qu/) * [Tao Yan](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/tao-yan/) * [Rongbo Shao](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/rongbo-shao/) * [Zhanglin He](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/zhanglin-he/) * ![Published Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-calendar-grey.svg) Published:May 30, 2019 * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-category.svg) Categories: * [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/malware/) * [Trend Reports](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/trend-reports/) * [Vulnerabilities](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/vulnerabilities/) * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-tags-grey.svg) Tags: * [Azorult](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/azorult/) * [CVE-2018-8174](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2018-8174/) * [ELink](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/elink/) * [![Download Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-download.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/web-based-threats-2018-q4-france-rises-to-1-for-malicious-url-hosting-us-1-for-phishing/?pdf=download&lg=en&_wpnonce=04e1ae3768 "Click here to download") * [![Print Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-print.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/web-based-threats-2018-q4-france-rises-to-1-for-malicious-url-hosting-us-1-for-phishing/?pdf=print&lg=en&_wpnonce=04e1ae3768 "Click here to print") Share![Down arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/down-arrow.svg) * ![Link Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-share-link.svg) * [![Link Email](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-sms.svg)](mailto:?subject=Web-based%20Threats-2018%20Q4:%20France%20Rises%20to%20#1%20for%20Malicious%20URL%20Hosting,%20US%20#1%20for%20Phishing&body=Check%20out%20this%20article%20https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fweb-based-threats-2018-q4-france-rises-to-1-for-malicious-url-hosting-us-1-for-phishing%2F "Share in email") * [![Facebook Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-fb-share.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fweb-based-threats-2018-q4-france-rises-to-1-for-malicious-url-hosting-us-1-for-phishing%2F "Share in Facebook") * [![LinkedIn Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-linkedin-share.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fweb-based-threats-2018-q4-france-rises-to-1-for-malicious-url-hosting-us-1-for-phishing%2F&title=Web-based%20Threats-2018%20Q4:%20France%20Rises%20to%20#1%20for%20Malicious%20URL%20Hosting,%20US%20#1%20for%20Phishing "Share in LinkedIn") * [![Twitter Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-twitter-share.svg)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fweb-based-threats-2018-q4-france-rises-to-1-for-malicious-url-hosting-us-1-for-phishing%2F&text=Web-based%20Threats-2018%20Q4:%20France%20Rises%20to%20#1%20for%20Malicious%20URL%20Hosting,%20US%20#1%20for%20Phishing "Share in Twitter") * [![Reddit Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-reddit-share.svg)](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com//www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fweb-based-threats-2018-q4-france-rises-to-1-for-malicious-url-hosting-us-1-for-phishing%2F&ts=markdown "Share in Reddit") * [![Mastodon Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-mastodon-share.svg)](https://mastodon.social/share?text=Web-based%20Threats-2018%20Q4:%20France%20Rises%20to%20#1%20for%20Malicious%20URL%20Hosting,%20US%20#1%20for%20Phishing%20https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fweb-based-threats-2018-q4-france-rises-to-1-for-malicious-url-hosting-us-1-for-phishing%2F "Share in Mastodon") **Executive Summary** Our Unit 42 research team routinely evaluates the data from our [Email Link Analysis (ELINK) system](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/documentation/80/wildfire/wf_admin/wildfire-overview/wildfire-concepts/email-link-analysis). In examining the data it collects, which are URLs extracted from emails or submitted by API, we can identify patterns and trends which help us discern prevalent web threats. This blog is the fourth (4th quarter of 2018) installment in a series of posts tracking web-based threats throughout the year, specifically statistics pertaining to malicious URLs, domains, exploit kits, CVEs, and now, phishing scams. The key findings in this quarter's report in summary are: 1. After Q4 saw an increase in malicious URLs, ending a trend of decreasing malicious URLs starting in Q1 and continuing through Q3. 2. For the first time in our tracking, the United States is not the number one country for malicious URLs: it fell to number two with France taking number one. 3. The number of domains hosting malware continued the drop we saw in Q3. 4. The United States once again is number one in malicious domains hosting malware. 5. There was no change in the top three vulnerabilities under attack this quarter: [CVE-2018-8174](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2018-8174), [CVE-2016-0189](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2016-0189), [CVE-2014-6332](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2014-6332) 6. It's also notable that these three have been the top three for three quarters now. And two of these ([CVE-2016-0189](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2016-0189), [CVE-2014-6332](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2014-6332)++)++, have been in the top three for a full year now. 7. The US was number one for phishing URL distribution and phishing domains, accounting for 56% and 40% of the volume respectively. 8. Microsoft account holders and customers were the number one target for phishers. Overall, technology company account holders and customers were the primary target for phishers, though DHL and Bank of America customers and account holders were also in the top ten for this quarter. Malicious URLs/Domains **Malicious URLs** Based on the data from our [ELINK](https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/wildfire/8-0/wildfire-admin/wildfire-overview/wildfire-concepts/email-link-analysis) system during Q4, we noticed a comeback in malicious URL links that were extracted from our data feed and analyzed. There were 1195 malicious URLs recorded during Q4, which is around 37% more than the previous quarter. The 3^rd^ quarter of 2018 capped at 783 malicious URLs, which as you can see in Figure 1 is quite low compared to the rest of the year. [![](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-1.-Malicious-URLs-from-Q1-to-Q4-2018.png)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-1.-Malicious-URLs-from-Q1-to-Q4-2018.png) *Figure* *1* *. Malicious URLs from Q1 to Q4 2018* These malicious URLs have also been broken down by country/region codes. Out of the 1195 URLs, France placed highest with 390 malicious URLs. It's the first time the United States hasn't ranked #1 on the list. The United Kingdom, which appears in the top 5 list from Q3, plummeted to only 7 malicious URL in Q4. Please keep in mind these statistics are formulated from our ELINK system data sets, they represent a sample set of overall numbers in the wild. [![](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-2.-Top-5-malicious-URL-hosting-country-region-from-Q4-2018.png)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-2.-Top-5-malicious-URL-hosting-country-region-from-Q4-2018.png) *Figure* *2* *. Top 5 malicious URL hosting country/region from Q4 2018* Malicious Domains Hosting Malware Although we observed a resurgence in malicious URL numbers, the number of domains hosting malware decreased from last quarter. From 310 malicious domains in Q3 to 287 in Q4, as seen in Figure 3 below. [![](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-3.-Malicious-domains-from-Q1-to-Q4-2018.png)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-3.-Malicious-domains-from-Q1-to-Q4-2018.png) *Figure 3. Malicious domains from Q1 to Q4 2018* While monitoring the domain hosting data, a pattern has emerged. Since the beginning of 2018, not only has the United States ranked #1 throughout the year, but the same 5 country/regions have remained at the top of our quarterly chart: United States, Russia, China, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands. These results may not seem surprising, especially the top 3, but it's always interesting to see the movement of numbers throughout the quarters, these are detailed in Figure 4 below. *[![](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-4.-Malicious-domains-in-2018.png)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-4.-Malicious-domains-in-2018.png)* *Figure 4. Malicious domains in 2018* The recorded CVEs in use have not changed much since the beginning of 2018. The top 3 vulnerabilities in Q4 are the same as in Q2 and Q3. Table 1 shows the rundown of the most common CVEs since Q1. [![](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Table-1.-Most-triggered-CVEs-Q1-to-Q4-2018.png)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Table-1.-Most-triggered-CVEs-Q1-to-Q4-2018.png)*Table 1. Most triggered CVEs Q1 to Q4 2018* Most of the currently exploited CVEs are not new. In fact, although they didn't make the top 3 list, the exploitation of three, over ten year old CVEs are still showing up in our data. Below is an overview of the CVEs that have been triggered in our ELINK system. * [CVE-2008-1309](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2008-1309): The RealAudioObjects.RealAudio ActiveX control in rmoc3260.dll in RealNetworks RealPlayer Enterprise, RealPlayer 10, RealPlayer 10.5 before build 6.0.12.1675, and RealPlayer 11 before 11.0.3 build 6.0.14.806 does not properly manage memory for the (1) Console or (2) Controls property, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (browser crash) via a series of assignments of long string values, which triggers an overwrite of freed heap memory. * [CVE-2008-1472](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2008-1472): Stack-based buffer overflow in the ListCtrl ActiveX Control (ListCtrl.ocx), as used in multiple CA products including BrightStor ARCserve Backup R11.5, Desktop Management Suite r11.1 through r11.2, and Unicenter products r11.1 through r11.2, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (crash) via a long argument to the AddColumn method. * [CVE-2008-4844](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2008-4844): Use-after-free vulnerability in the CRecordInstance::TransferToDestination function in mshtml.dll in Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01, 6, 6 SP1, and 7 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via DSO bindings involving (1) an XML Island, (2) XML DSOs, or (3) Tabular Data Control (TDC) in a crafted HTML or XML document, as demonstrated by nested SPAN or MARQUEE elements, and exploited in the wild in December 2008. **Phishing** ELINK started to support phishing detection at the end of Q3. Below are phishing detections from ELINK in Q4 2018. **URLs** In Q4 2018, we observed 212,818 phishing URLs in total. More than half of them are hosted in the US, followed by the Netherlands, Germany, Russian, and Chile. France, which ranked #1 in our malicious URLs hosting country/region, ranked 6^th^ in hosting phishing URLs. Figure 5 shows a breakdown of the top 20 hosting countries/regions for Phishing URLs. [![](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-5.-Phishing-URL-distribution.png)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-5.-Phishing-URL-distribution.png) *Figure 5. Phishing URL distribution* **Domains** All 212,818 phishing URLs were hosted by 20,990 domains. Out of all the phishing domains monitored, a prominent 40% were hosted in United States. The top 5 countries/regions for hosting phishing domains are as follows: United States, Netherlands, Germany, France, and Canada. More details are in Figure 6 below. [![](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-6.-Phishing-domain-distribution.png)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-6.-Phishing-domain-distribution.png) *Figure 6. Phishing domain distribution* **Targets** There is no doubt that phishing campaigns are rampantly spreading, ELINK captured 200 times more phishing URLs than malicious URLs. You may be curious what well-known entities these phishing scams are intended for. It may not be surprising that Microsoft is the overriding phishing target, considering there are multiple popular products/services from Microsoft, such as OneDrive, Outlook, and Office 365. Bank of America (BoA) is the only bank present in the top 10 list, with Chase second in the bank category ranking in at 15^th^ place. More details of the top 10 phishing targets are in Figure 7 below. [![](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-7.-Phishing-target-distribution.png)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Figure-7.-Phishing-target-distribution.png) *Figure 7. Phishing target distribution* **Case Study** The Fallout Exploit Kit, using CVE-2018-8174, is still the most active EK in Q4. A [new campaign called "FindMyName](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-new-wine-old-bottle-new-azorult-variant-found-findmyname-campaign-using-fallout-exploit-kit/)" was found to deliver multiple new [Azorult](https://www.proofpoint.com/us/threat-insight/post/new-version-azorult-stealer-improves-loading-features-spreads-alongside) (data stealing/downloading malware) variants through CVE-2018-8174 (which we noted above is the number one targeted vulnerability this quarter). In this campaign several attack chains, that originated from different URLs, had the same final landing pages on the same domain (findmyname\[.\]pw). These new Azorult variants use advanced obfuscation techniques, such as API flooding and control flow flattening to evade anti-virus products. In addition, the samples we captured support stealing sensitive information in more browsers, applications, and cryptocurrency wallets than previous versions. We disclosed more details in this [blog](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-new-wine-old-bottle-new-azorult-variant-found-findmyname-campaign-using-fallout-exploit-kit/). **Conclusion** Looking at this quarter's trends, we see a comeback in malicious URLs globally due to a surprisingly upsurge in France. Meanwhile, the United States remained the top hosting country/region for malicious domains. While our ELINK system indicates 10-year-old vulnerabilities still being exploited, most of the vulnerabilities showing up were discovered within the last 5 years. There is no zero-day vulnerability attack observed this quarter, keep your software and system updated can prevent a majority of them. WildFire and PANDB both have full coverage of these malwares. Compared to malicious URLs, the number of phishing URLs is substantially larger. They are not based on any vulnerability of software or system but based on humans being the weakest link in cybersecurity. WildFire and PANDB both have full coverage of these phishing URLs. Back to top ### Tags * [Azorult](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/azorult/ "Azorult") * [CVE-2018-8174](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2018-8174/ "CVE-2018-8174") * [ELink](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/elink/ "eLink") [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") [Next: Breaking Out of rkt -- 3 New Unpatched CVEs](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/breaking-out-of-coresos-rkt-3-new-cves/ "Breaking Out of rkt – 3 New Unpatched CVEs") ### Related Articles * [SilverTerrier: 2019 Nigerian Business Email Compromise Update](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/silverterrier-2019-update/ "article - table of contents") * [Web-Based Threats: First Half 2019](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/web-based-threats-first-half-2019/ "article - table of contents") * [Web-based Threats-2018 Q3: Malicious URLs and Domains take a Dip](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/web-based-threats-2018-q3-malicious-urls-and-domains-take-a-dip/ "article - table of contents") ## Related Resources ![Pictorial representation of post-exploitation identity misuse in SPIFFE/SPIRE. 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A vibrant digital interface displaying various icons and graphs, resembling a futuristic network or data analysis dashboard. The scene is illuminated with glowing lights and patterns.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AdobeStock_1270203474-2-1-786x368.png) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 25, 2026 [#### The State of AI-Enabled Malware August 2026: From Brand Abuse to Agentic Execution](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-enabled-malware-analysis/) * [Backdoor](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/backdoor/ "backdoor") * [Bitcoin](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/bitcoin/ "Bitcoin") * [DLL hijacking](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/dll-hijacking/ "DLL hijacking") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-enabled-malware-analysis/ "The State of AI-Enabled Malware August 2026: From Brand Abuse to Agentic Execution") ![Pictorial representation of identity abuse through trusted communication channels. Close-up view of a digital screen displaying a glitched and pixelated image of a skull-like shape.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/02_Malware_Category_1920x900-2-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 20, 2026 [#### Identity Abuse Through Trusted Communication Channels](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/communication-channel-identity-risks/) * [Authentication](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/authentication/ "authentication") * [Identity theft](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/identity-theft/ "identity theft") * [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/malware/ "malware") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/communication-channel-identity-risks/ "Identity Abuse Through Trusted Communication Channels") ![Pictorial representation of Kimwolf botnet malware family. Digital screen with a warning sign reading "Malware." The background features lines of computer code and graphics, creating a sense of cybersecurity threat.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/07_Malware_Category_1920x900-3-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 11, 2026 [#### Kimwolf v7: An Evolution of the Kimwolf Botnet](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/kimwolf-v7-botnet-malware/) * [Android APK](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/android-apk/ "Android APK") * [Ethereum](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ethereum/ "Ethereum") * [HTTP](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/http/ "HTTP") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/kimwolf-v7-botnet-malware/ "Kimwolf v7: An Evolution of the Kimwolf Botnet") ![Pictorial representatiom pf Aeternum's blockchain C2. A close-up of a computer circuit board with a central microchip is depicted. Red digital data streams in the form of glowing binary numbers and arrows appear to flow in and out of the chip. The scene is illuminated with a futuristic blue and red glow.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/04_Malware_Category_1920x900-4-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 10, 2026 [#### The Permanent Threat: Analyzing Aeternum's Blockchain-Based C2 Operations and Communications](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/aeternum-blockchain-c2-analysis/) * [Aeternum](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/aeternum/ "Aeternum") * [Infection chain](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/infection-chain/ "infection chain") * [JSON](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/json/ "JSON") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/aeternum-blockchain-c2-analysis/ "The Permanent Threat: Analyzing Aeternum’s Blockchain-Based C2 Operations and Communications") ![Pictorial representation of ChainDrop, a self-propagating npm worm. An artistic depiction of a digital workspace featuring an open laptop with a red virus on the screen.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/03_Malware_Category_1920x900-7-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/top-threats.svg)High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) August 6, 2026 [#### ChainDrop: Inside a Self-Propagating npm Worm](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/chaindrop-npm-worm-analysis/) * [Blockchain](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/blockchain/ "blockchain") * [ChainDrop](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/chaindrop/ "ChainDrop") * [Claude code](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/claude-code/ "Claude code") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/chaindrop-npm-worm-analysis/ "ChainDrop: Inside a Self-Propagating npm Worm") ![Pictorial representation of Token-jacking. A person types on a laptop with multiple digital interface elements projected, including an "AI" icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AdobeStock_1246251272-2-786x369.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 6, 2026 [#### Token Jacking: Cybercriminals Could Be Stealing Your AI Resources](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-token-jacking/) * [AI API](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ai-api/ "AI API") * [AI gateway](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ai-gateway/ "AI gateway") * [API keys](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/api-keys/ "API keys") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-token-jacking/ "Token Jacking: Cybercriminals Could Be Stealing Your AI Resources") * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) ![Close button](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/close-modal.svg) ![Enlarged Image]() ![Newsletter](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/unit42-footer-subscribe-desktop.png) ![UNIT 42 Small Logo](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/palo-alto-logo-small.svg) Get updates from Unit 42 ## Peace of mind comes from staying ahead of threats. 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