Various Methods for Obscuring URLs

by Ed Skoudis, Internet Storm Center

Note that this list is _not_ comprehensive, but a handy reference for some of the tricks bad guys use to fool users.

Each method looks like it goes to www.microsoft.com, but really points to www.google.com. Note that not all methods work for all browsers. Modern versions of IE do not like the %01, %00, @, and related tricks.

Regular: www.microsoft.com

Subversion (Say www.microsoft.com, link to www.google.com): www.microsoft.com www.microsoft.com

%01: www.microsoft.com

@: www.microsoft.com

%01%00@: www.microsoft.com

IP ADDR: 216.239.41.99: www.microsoft.com

Decimal IP addr: 3639552355: www.microsoft.com

Hex IP addr: 0xd8ef2963: www.microsoft.com

Hex IP addr with dots: 0xd8.0xef.0x29.0x63: www.microsoft.com

URL Encoding as ASCII in Hex: http://%77%77%77%2E%67%6F%6F%67%6C%65%2E%63%6F%6D: www.microsoft.com

URL Encoding as Unicode: www.google.com www.microsoft.com

URL Encoding as Unicode with @: www.microsoft.com@www.google.com www.microsoft.com

URL Shortener at http://csua.org/u/: www.microsoft.com

URL Shortener at http://www.rapp.org/url/: www.microsoft.com

Mixed ASCII and Unicode: www.microsoft.com

Octal: 0330.0357.0051.0143: www.microsoft.com

Octal Long form: 000330.000357.000051.000143: www.microsoft.com