{"id":681,"date":"2014-05-30T19:20:17","date_gmt":"2014-05-30T13:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alltechtrix.com\/?p=681"},"modified":"2017-08-01T01:09:09","modified_gmt":"2017-07-31T19:39:09","slug":"malicious-shortened-url","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alltechtrix.com\/malicious-shortened-url\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover Malicious Shortened URLs using URL Uncover Pro"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"3060bab7f502a366790a3e67ab4583de\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- TRP Link Unit Responsive -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8744261675752862\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"6422581630\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"link\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>Have you ever <strong>shortened an URL<\/strong>? I know you did. If you didn&#8217;t, then surely you might have clicked on a shortened URL. They look something like this [<a title=\"A regular shortened URL\" href=\"http:\/\/sh.st\/emieC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">http:\/\/sh.st\/emieC<\/a>]. There are different <em>URL shortening services<\/em> available on the Internet. They help you shorten URLs and redirect them to certain website. Shortened URL are popular on social networking site. You must have seen or used <em>shortened URL for Facebook<\/em>. It helps shorten a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">80-100 character URL<\/span> into <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">15-20 characters<\/span>. Custom shortened URL henceforth looks compact.<\/p>\n<p>But using shortened URLs has a problem of its own. Since you do not know which site the shortened URL is pointing to. This really increases the chances of shortened URL to be linked to a malicious site, isn&#8217;t it? By the way there are different Internet Services, <a title=\"Web of Trust Firefox Plugin\" href=\"https:\/\/addons.mozilla.org\/en-US\/firefox\/addon\/wot-safe-browsing-tool\/?src=hp-dl-mostpopular\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Add-ons<\/a> and Extensions available to <strong>check trustworthiness of a particular site<\/strong>. Without even visiting the site, you&#8217;ll know about the site with these services. But these services <strong>fail<\/strong> when it comes to shortened url. Here&#8217;s an example of it.<\/p>\n<p>Mostly forums and Question &amp; Answers sites make use of shortened URL. Hence it is possible, these URLs pointing to a malicious site which might download spywares and adwares automatically in your computer.<\/p>\n<p>In such scenarios wouldn&#8217;t it be great, if you have a shortened URL checker? Before clicking a short URL, this shortened URL checker will check the link you.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"question\">But is there any shortened URL checker?<\/h3>\n<p>Don&#8217;t worry! There is one.<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s a web app called as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.urluncoverpro.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">URL Uncover Pro <\/a>to help you check the <a href=\"http:\/\/techverse.net\/how-to-check-website-reputation-trustworthiness-web-browser\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">trustworthiness<\/a> of the shortened URL. It checks the site the URL is redirecting to. Wow!<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alltechtrix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/shortened-url-uncover-pro-image1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-683\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alltechtrix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/shortened-url-uncover-pro-image1.jpg?resize=630%2C313\" alt=\"shortened-url-uncover-pro-image1\" width=\"630\" height=\"313\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>URL Uncover Pro is a very simple and effective service. Does what its advertises. Paste the short URL in text field. With the help of McAfee SiteAdvisor App, URL Uncover Pro tells if the URL is safe or not.<\/p><!--CusAds0-->\n<p>It shows the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Redirecting URL<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Website Title<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Description<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Keywords<\/span> and displays the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Website Screenshot<\/span>. It also reveals <em>Website&#8217;s IP Address<\/em> and shows if it&#8217;s listed on <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.spamcop.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spamcop<\/a><\/strong>. (Website listed by Spamcop are mostly Spammy)<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alltechtrix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/shortened-url-uncover-pro-image2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-685\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alltechtrix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/shortened-url-uncover-pro-image2.jpg?resize=630%2C260\" alt=\"shortened-url-uncover-pro-image2\" width=\"630\" height=\"260\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The web application does claims that it can detect <a href=\"http:\/\/adf.ly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Adfly<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkbucks.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Linkbuck<\/a> URLs. But when I tried using Adfly shortened url, then it really wasn&#8217;t able to detect the redirecting site. This is what URL Uncover Pro displayed when I checked using an Adfly url.<\/p>\n<p>Must Read: <a title=\"Adf.ly pays you just for shortening URLs\" href=\"http:\/\/alltechtrix.com\/blog\/adf-ly-pays-for-shortening-urls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Adf.ly pays you just for shortening URLs<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alltechtrix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/shortened-url-uncover-pro-image3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-686\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alltechtrix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/shortened-url-uncover-pro-image3.jpg?resize=632%2C254\" alt=\"shortened-url-uncover-pro-image3\" width=\"632\" height=\"254\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Did you know?<\/strong> URL Uncover Pro even has a <strong>Firefox add-on<\/strong> and <strong>Chrome extension<\/strong>. This really saves your time of visiting URL Uncover Pro every time, if you&#8217;d like to check a shortened URL.<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alltechtrix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/shortened-url-uncover-pro-image4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-687\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alltechtrix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/shortened-url-uncover-pro-image4.jpg?resize=630%2C356\" alt=\"shortened-url-uncover-pro-image4\" width=\"630\" height=\"356\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Install the Firefox add-on. Now all you have to do right-click on any link. Click on a shortened URL (or even regular URL) and click on <strong>Uncover this URL.<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alltechtrix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/shortened-url-uncover-pro-image5.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-688\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alltechtrix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/shortened-url-uncover-pro-image5.jpg?resize=399%2C297\" alt=\"shortened-url-uncover-pro-image5\" width=\"399\" height=\"297\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Enjoyed reading this article?<\/h4>\n<p>If you did. Please share this article on your favorite social networking sites like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=http:\/\/alltechtrix.com\/blog\/malicious-shortened-url\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/home?status=How%20safe%20are%20short%20URLs%20you%20visit?%20Here's%20an%20amazing%20tool%20to%20help%20you%20http:\/\/alltechtrix.com\/blog\/malicious-shortened-url\/%20via%20@AllTechTrix\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Twitter<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/share?url=http:\/\/alltechtrix.com\/blog\/malicious-shortened-url\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Google+<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;d really love if you could take some time and leave a comment below. I&#8217;d love to read your thoughts about this article. Make sure to let you voice be heard.<\/p>\n<p>Have a great day!<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever shortened an URL? I know you did. If you didn&#8217;t, then surely you might have clicked on a shortened URL. They look something like this [http:\/\/sh.st\/emieC]. There are different URL shortening services available on the Internet. They help you shorten URLs and redirect them to certain website. Shortened URL are popular on <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/alltechtrix.com\/malicious-shortened-url\/\">[Read More&hellip;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":690,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[21],"tags":[22],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.1 - 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