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A real CAPTCHA never asks you to press Windows+R, open PowerShell or Terminal, paste text from your clipboard, or run a command. Pages that give those instructions are using a social-engineering technique known as ClickFix. The pasted command can install an infostealer, remote-access trojan, loader, keylogger or other malware while appearing to be a routine human-verification step.
What ClickFix is and why a CAPTCHA is involved
ClickFix is a delivery technique, not a single malware family. An attacker places a convincing verification, browser-update, or error page in front of a victim and then persuades the victim to execute code locally. The page may arrive through a phishing email, malicious advertising, a search-result page designed to rank for popular queries, a compromised legitimate website, or an HTML attachment.
The lure imitates a familiar reCAPTCHA or Cloudflare Turnstile screen, a “human verification” prompt, a fake browser update, or even a blue-screen-style error. Microsoft has recorded wording such as “I am not a robot – reCAPTCHA Verification ID: XXXX.” JavaScript on the page can silently write an obfuscated command to the clipboard. Instructions then tell the visitor to open a system tool, paste the command and press Enter.
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A legitimate CAPTCHA may ask you to identify images, type characters, or click a checkbox. It does not require a keyboard shortcut, clipboard operation, PowerShell, Windows Terminal, the Run dialog, or a macOS shell.
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How the attack works
| Stage | What the victim sees or does | What the attacker gains |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival | A phishing message, malvertisement, search-poisoned result, compromised site or HTML attachment leads to a page. | A route around normal trust checks and a chance to present a believable prompt. |
| Lure | A fake CAPTCHA, update warning, “human verification” notice or error screen claims a quick fix is required. | The victim’s expectation that solving a minor technical problem is safe. |
| Clipboard manipulation | Page JavaScript places an encoded or otherwise obfuscated command in the clipboard. | A command that is harder for the victim to inspect and easier to paste accurately. |
| User execution | The victim opens Windows Run, Terminal, PowerShell or a macOS shell, pastes, and confirms. | Code runs with the victim’s permissions, bypassing defenses that would have blocked an automatic download. |
| Payload and persistence | The command fetches or launches additional files or scripts. | Credential theft, remote control, keylogging, data theft and a foothold for later activity. |
Microsoft describes the method as exploiting a user’s tendency to solve seemingly minor technical issues. Because the victim starts the process, conventional automated defenses may not stop the initial execution.
How to tell whether a CAPTCHA is fake
Stop immediately when instructions mention a command
- Do not press Windows+R or open Terminal, PowerShell, Command Prompt or a shell to complete verification.
- Do not paste anything into a system window because a webpage tells you to.
- Do not run text copied from a page, even if the page has familiar logos, a lock icon, a verification badge or a plausible reference number.
- Do not follow “fix,” “repair,” “enable,” or “update” instructions that require a command-line action.
Check the interaction itself
Image selection, character entry and a normal checkbox are consistent with CAPTCHA behavior. A request to copy text, use a keyboard shortcut, open a shell, disable security software or approve an unfamiliar download is not. A browser can display a warning or ask you to update through its normal settings; it should not require a shell command supplied by a webpage.
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Remember that a familiar site can still be compromised
The domain or page may be genuine but compromised, or an advertisement may redirect through several domains. Familiar branding is not proof that the instructions are safe. Close the tab rather than trying to diagnose the page by executing its proposed fix.
What malware ClickFix campaigns deliver
Observed campaigns have delivered infostealers such as Lumma Stealer; remote-access trojans including Xworm, AsyncRAT, NetSupport and SectopRAT; loaders such as Latrodectus and MintsLoader; rootkits; credential stealers; and keyloggers. The initial command may be only a downloader, so a clean-looking desktop immediately afterward does not establish that the device is safe.
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Possible outcomes include theft of browser passwords, banking credentials and session cookies; keystroke capture; exfiltration of documents; persistence through Startup folders or registry Run keys; lateral movement into other systems; and, in some incidents, deployment of ransomware.
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- Do not paste or execute it. If text is already in the clipboard, replace it with harmless text or restart the device before using the clipboard for anything sensitive.
- Close the suspicious tab or window. If it will not close normally, use the browser’s standard force-quit method rather than interacting with the page.
- Report the page or message. Use the reporting function in the browser, email service, search platform or social network that delivered it.
- Open the site again only through a separately typed, trusted address if you need to check an account. Do not return through the advertisement, message or search result that displayed the fake prompt.
What to do if you ran the command
Assume the device may be compromised. A command can establish persistence or steal credentials without leaving an obvious window open.
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- Disconnect from the internet. Turn off Wi-Fi and unplug Ethernet. Leave the device isolated while you begin response work.
- Run a complete security scan. Use your installed security software and allow it to quarantine or remove detections. A second opinion from a reputable, up-to-date security scanner can help, but do not download tools from links in the suspicious page.
- Update the operating system, browser and security software. Install updates from their normal settings or official vendor channels after the device is isolated and the scan is underway.
- Change passwords from a different, known-clean device. Prioritize email, banking, password-manager, work and social accounts. Do not reuse a password that was present on the affected device.
- Enable two-factor authentication. Revoke active sessions or sign out other devices where the service provides that option, because stolen session cookies can let an attacker bypass a newly changed password.
- Contact financial institutions and other affected services. Watch for unauthorized transactions, password-reset notices and new login alerts.
- Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Preserve the message, page address, time of the incident and any security alerts for investigators or your organization’s security team.
If the scan finds malware, persistence, unusual accounts or unexplained network activity, keep the device offline and obtain professional incident-response help. For a work computer, contact the organization’s security or IT team before reconnecting it; do not simply delete a suspicious file and resume normal use.
What organizations should monitor and harden
Endpoint teams should review process and command-line telemetry around the time of the visit, including PowerShell, Windows Run, Terminal and script interpreters. Look for encoded commands, downloads launched by a browser, new Startup-folder files, registry Run-key changes, unexpected scheduled activity, credential-access behavior and outbound connections from user workstations.
Practical controls include restricting unnecessary PowerShell or Run use, applying application-control and script policies appropriate to the environment, keeping browsers and operating systems patched, and ensuring endpoint detection can see script-based or fileless execution. User education should show the exact red flags—especially a request to press Windows+R and paste text—rather than relying on generic advice to “be careful.”
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Organizations should also review identity logs for impossible travel, unfamiliar devices, new mail-forwarding rules, token or session abuse and password spraying after an employee runs a suspicious command. Isolating a workstation quickly can limit lateral movement while credentials and sessions are reset.
How widespread the technique has become
- Microsoft first observed ClickFix in Storm-1607 email campaigns between March and June 2024.
- Microsoft analyzed a Lampion campaign first identified in May 2025.
- Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency issued an “Ongoing ClickFix Campaign” alert on 10 July 2025, covering technology, finance, manufacturing, retail, government, legal, utilities and energy sectors.
- An FBI, CISA, HHS and MS-ISAC advisory in 2025 documented Interlock actors using fake CAPTCHAs to run Base64-encoded PowerShell and establish persistence.
- In an August 2025 analysis, Microsoft Threat Intelligence said campaigns were targeting thousands of enterprise and end-user devices globally every day.
The exact lure and payload change, but the decisive warning remains stable: a CAPTCHA is a webpage interaction, not a request for you to execute a command on your own computer.
Quick Recap
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