Placeholder third-party[.]com Referenced Across 1,700+ Repositories Now Serves Malicious Content

The domain third-party[.]com, often used as a placeholder in documentation, is now serving malicious content to Windows browsers in the form of a ClickFix lure. However, it displays harmless content to other users. This domain has been used as a generic placeholder for years, similar to example.com. It has been referenced in over 1,700 repositories. According to Manifold Security's Head of Research, Ax Sharma, third-party[.]com has played this role for years, unlike example.com. The malicious content is specifically targeted at Windows browsers.