In its ongoing fight against the proliferation of malware on its platform, Discord is preparing to introduce a significant security improvement, but the new measure is not going to please everyone.
By the end of the year, communications platform Discord will implement temporary file links, making it harder for cyberattackers toexploit Discord’s Content Delivery Network (CDN) to host and distribute malware.
Discord’s motivation is clear: to create a safer environment for its users. By deploying these temporary links, the company intends strengthen the ability of its security team to restrict access to reported content and reduce the distribution of malware.
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How will Discord’s new measure work?
Discord will update its attachment URLs to include three new parameters, which will include expiration timestamps and unique signatures. Once these changes are implemented later this year, all links to files uploaded to Discord servers will expire after 24 hours. This feature will make Discord’s content delivery network unsuitable for permanent file hosting, thereby strengthening the platform’s security against misuse of its services by malicious actors.
Users sharing content within the Discord client will not be significantly affected, as all links shared within the platform will be automatically refreshed. However, Users who use Discord to host files may need to look for other services to meet their needs.
Cybercriminals have often taken advantage of Discord’s permanent file hosting capabilities to distribute malware and exfiltrate data from compromised systems, so this measure should destabilize hackers.
Security firm Trellix recently reported that Discord’s CDN URLs were exploited by at least 10,000 malware operations to deliver second-level malicious payloads to compromised systems. These payloads often include malware and scripts to install various types of malwares, such as RedLine stealer, Vidar, AgentTesla, zgRAT and Raccoon stealer.
Additionally, several malware families, including Agent Tesla, UmbralStealer, Stealerium, and zgRAT, have used Discord to steal sensitive information such as credentials, browser cookies, and cryptocurrency wallets from compromised devices . These security vulnerabilities have made it imperative for Discord to take proactive measures to combat such malicious activities. It now remains to be seen whether these changes will be effective.