Hackers Exploit New HTML Trick to Deceive Outlook Users into Clicking Malicious Links

Cybersecurity researchers have encountered a cleverly crafted phishing email targeting Czech bank customers, employing a lesser-known but highly deceptive technique to bypass security mechanisms and trick users into clicking malicious links.

At first glance, the email appears to be a standard phishing attempt, masquerading as a legitimate message from a Czech bank and urging recipients to update their account information.

However, a deeper inspection reveals a sophisticated manipulation of HTML conditional statements designed to exploit differences in how email clients render content, particularly targeting environments where Microsoft Outlook is prevalent.

HTML Conditional Statements: A Dual-Edged Sword

Upon closer examination of the email’s HTML code, it became evident that the threat actors leveraged HTML conditional comments, specifically