Google Forms, a widely trusted form and quiz-building tool that dominates nearly half of the online survey market, has become an attractive target for cybercriminals.
Its combination of accessibility, legitimacy, and ease of use has inadvertently created new opportunities for threat actors seeking to bypass traditional email security and launch large-scale phishing attacks.
As Google Forms continues to gain widespread adoption, so too does its appeal among cybercriminals looking to add a veneer of authenticity to their malicious campaigns.
The platform’s reputation as a free and reliable service helps increase user trust, which adversaries exploit to lure potential victims into surrendering sensitive information.
Unlike custom-built phishing websites, malicious Google Forms are more likely to slip past established security filters, leveraging dynamic URLs and Google’s own TLS encryption to evade detection.
Techniques and Evasion Strategies
Attackers typically weaponize Google Forms by crafting questionnaires that mimic recognizable brands such as banks, universities, or major online service providers.
Victims might receive a convincing email, sometimes from a compromised legitimate address, directing them to these fraudulent forms.
The ultimate goal is to harvest credentials, exfiltrate financial information, or trick users into visiting sites that surreptitiously deploy malware.
Innovative techniques such as “call back phishing” and quiz spam have been increasingly observed.
In the former, users receive a form often impersonating a trusted institution that pressures them to call a provided phone number regarding a fabricated issue.
On the call, social engineering tactics are used to extract sensitive details or persuade the victim to install remote access tools, granting attackers control over the device.
Meanwhile, quiz spam exploits the release scores feature in Google Forms to distribute custom messages with malicious links, further broadening the attack surface.
High-Profile Incidents and Ongoing Risks
Recent campaigns have targeted sectors such as higher education and financial services, with attackers spoofing official branding to harvest institution-specific credentials.
The BazarCall campaign, for example, lured victims with forms impersonating PayPal and Netflix, warning of unauthorized charges to prompt urgent action.
According to Google, attacks on US universities surged last year, with university-themed phishing forms duping staff and students into divulging login and financial information.
The ubiquity and legitimacy of Google Forms make it difficult for traditional security mechanisms to keep pace.
TLS encryption hampers the ability of some email security platforms to inspect form content, while the dynamic nature of Google Forms URLs challenges link analysis tools.
According to the Report, these factors, combined with the inherent trust users place in Google-branded services, create a potent vector for credential harvesting and malware distribution.
Defending against these threats requires a combination of technical safeguards and user vigilance.
Security experts recommend multi-layered defenses that incorporate reputable endpoint protection, advanced email filtering, and consistent user education.
Strong, unique credentials, secured by multi-factor authentication, remain critical in limiting the damage if a user is compromised.
Google itself warns users never to submit passwords through its forms a guideline that should be rigorously observed.
As cybercriminals refine their tactics, the onus is on organizations and individuals alike to remain skeptical of unsolicited requests, scrutinize communications even from seemingly trustworthy senders and verify authenticity through direct channels.
Continuous awareness and robust security hygiene are essential to countering the evolving threat landscape targeting Google Forms and other mainstream cloud-based tools.
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