Tabjacking is a form of Internet threat. The tab feature in common Internet web browsers has paved a way for tabjackers to introduce malicious codes into user computers. Specifically, tabjacking refers to hijacking or an incident where a web browser tab falls under the control of an external party and the new tab is brought to a webpage that the external party is supporting or marketing. The controller of the code could also bombard the user with annoying advertising popups, and even worms, trojans and other parasites.

The Tabs Feature

Browsing with multiple tabs under a single window is a special feature now commonly found on today’s browsers. The most common browsers that normally offer such features are Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.

Being able to open more web pages under a single window with the tabs feature makes it easier for users to navigate through the web. It also allows them to quickly switch between active tabs whenever the need to do so arises. However, the ease and smoothness of operations that opening tabs give users can also have its drawbacks. They can also be a weakness for hackers or adware companies to exploit at will.

How Tabjacking Works

The tabs feature has introduced a weak spot which could be utilized by malware as a means to infiltrate computer systems. Upon opening a tab, malicious codes and scripts could be run and executed to “hi-jack” the newly opened tab. The “hi-jacked” tabs will then display or load the adware or other unsolicited content. Quite possibly, tabjackers can also introduce viruses or other malicious content that could infect the computer. Such content will most probably be hidden among legitimate web content and thus detection of such intrusion is usually difficult.

Tabjacking poses a threat to computer users’ privacy and security. This is especially true if a “jacked” tab pretends to be a legitimate website and induces the user to enter important personal information such as credit card numbers and passwords. Once a user unknowingly enters such important information on the fake webpage, they become easy victims for identity theft and Internet fraud.

Once a computer’s tab has been hi-jacked, advertisement-based content that adware companies create could still persist in the infected computer system. Even if the user restarts or reboots the infected computer system, the tab-based adware could still execute and load without the user’s consent.

Tabjacking is used by today’s adware companies in response to the ever growing trend of browsing the Internet through in-window tabs. This form of threat is now being studied so as to be able to come-up with solutions and effective countermeasures.