{"id":28459,"date":"2025-05-16T11:34:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T19:34:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=28459"},"modified":"2025-05-16T11:34:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T19:34:24","slug":"watering-hole-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/watering-hole-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"Watering Hole Attacks: Don\u2019t Fall Prey to Hackers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In nature, predators use watering holes as an opportunity to strike. Online, scammers can do the exact same thing, which is why the more you know, the less likely you are to become prey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering hole attacks \u2014 named after the tactic we just mentioned in which predators lay in wait for prey to let their guard down at literal watering holes \u2014 are a type of attack that targets specific users of websites that cybercriminals are able to compromise and infect with malicious links and content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s everything you need to know and how to stay safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Watering Hole Attack?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Watering hole attacks work by first compromising a website that a certain group of people frequently visit, and therefore trust. Once cybercriminals are able to gain unpermitted access to the website without being detected, they then alter the site to include malicious links. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because users of the website frequent the domain, they don\u2019t think twice before clicking on something when prompted. Unfortunately, these links often end up being some type of malware or a mirrored page (a page that looks legit, but is in fact a fake owned by hackers so as not to raise suspicion) that reveals users’ private information to cybercriminals. An example could be a link that you believe downloads a PDF from a website you use often, when in fact the link has been replaced by a cybercriminal with something malicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering hole attacks can vary slightly in their targets and end goals, but they are most often part of a larger plan. These attacks are used to target specific individuals or members of an organization so that once those people have been compromised, the hackers can gain access to more valuable organizational information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"hacker<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How Do Watering Hole Attacks Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first active step for a watering hole attack is to profile targets, looking into which specific websites they frequently visit. Once they have done this, cybercriminals compromise the website in order to then compromise specific users\u2019 devices. Remember, the end goal is usually to compromise a large organization<\/a>, and the best way to do so is through corrupting the devices of certain individuals within said organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a hacker has found a vulnerability in a desired website, they infect it with links that redirect users to interact with malicious downloads or spoofed websites. Upon success of gaining access to a target\u2019s computer, they then wait for that computer to connect to a network at the victim\u2019s workplace, essentially chaining the attack onto a larger target (the initial victim\u2019s workplace\/organization).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s all of that broken down into the simplest terms: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Cybercriminals choose an organization<\/strong> with valuable information they would like to compromise (but often have heightened security).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Criminals then look for websites that members of the target organization frequent<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Those websites are searched for vulnerabilities, and should any be found, malicious content is loaded into them<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. A target user unknowingly downloads malicious material<\/strong> from said website.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. That target user connects to the target organization\u2019s network<\/strong>, allowing the cybercriminals access to their end goal \u2014 the organization\u2019s information.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Watering hole attacks essentially have three targets, with the last one being the actual prize. They must first infect a website, then a user, before finally reaching the target organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Similar Attacks to Look Out For<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    While watering hole attacks are fairly unique in their overall execution, there are a few other cybersecurity attacks that function similarly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n