NHS Choices Website Typo Sends Users Into Malware Danger
Coding error added one letter to a linked domain, leading to threats affecting NHS site visitors
A security threat was inadvertently introduced to the NHS Choices website on Sunday thanks to a site administrator’s typing error.
A link in the site’s code went to a domain whose name was spelt wrong – just one letter different to the correct service – an NHS spokesperson told TechWeekEurope. On Sunday, a person in the Czech Republic appeared to have bought that domain, which was later seen serving up advertising and malware.
“That’s when the problems started to occur,” the spokesperson said. “We can’t say whether [that person] noticed the error or if it was pure happenstance.”
NHS Choices malware threat
Such malicious sites are often set up by digital crooks, who can make money from ad clicks and whose malware can pilfer things like banking logins. It’s believed the coding error led to 800 links on the NHS Choices website pointing to bad domains.
The problem was uncovered by Reddit user Muzzers, who noted that the error lay in linking googleaspis.com rather than the correct googleapis.com.
Some had suggested the site was hacked, but the NHS sought to allay such fears on Monday.
“An internal coding error has caused an incorrect re-direct on some pages on NHS Choices since Sunday evening,” the NHS explained in an emailed statement.
“Routine security checks alerted us to this problem on Monday morning at which point we identified the problem and corrected the code.
“We are now ‘flushing through’ this correction to ensure that the code on all affected pages is amended and expect this to be completed this afternoon.
“NHS Choices is treating this issue with urgency and once resolved we plan to undertake a thorough and detailed analysis to ensure that a full code review is undertaken and steps put in place to ensure no reoccurrence.”
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