High Severity

Link: Suspicious Family fragment parameter with encoded recipient data

Description

Detects messages containing links with URL fragments that include 'Family' parameters containing base64 or hex encoded email addresses, which may indicate personalized malicious content targeting specific recipients.

References

No references.

Sublime Security
Created Apr 27th, 2026 • Last updated Apr 27th, 2026
Source
type.inbound
and any(body.links,
        // contains family
        regex.icontains(.href_url.fragment, 'Fa(?:m|rn)ily=')
        // the href_url contains a valid baes64 encoded email
        and (
          any(strings.scan_base64(.href_url.fragment, ignore_padding=true),
              strings.parse_email(.).domain.valid
              // double base64 encoded.. yup
              or any(strings.scan_base64(., ignore_padding=true),
                     strings.parse_email(.).domain.valid
              )
          )
          or any(regex.iextract(.href_url.fragment,
                                'Fa(?:m|rn)ily=$?(?P<email_addy>[^&]+)'
                 ),
                 // plain text email addresses
                 strings.parse_email(.named_groups["email_addy"]).domain.valid
                 // observed hex encoded email address in addition to the base64 encoded ones
                 or (
                   strings.icontains(.named_groups["email_addy"], '40')
                   and strings.icontains(.named_groups["email_addy"], '2e')
                   and length(.named_groups["email_addy"]) % 2 == 0
                 )
                 // sometimes the template messes up
                 or strings.icontains(.named_groups["email_addy"],
                                      'sf_base64_enc'
                 )
                 // messed up in a different way
                 or regex.icontains(.named_groups["email_addy"],
                                    'Fa(?:m|rn)ily'
                 )
          )
        )
)
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