Detection Method: Optical Character Recognition

OCR (Optical Character Recognition) helps systems read and analyze text in images, screenshots, and scanned documents. This method turns visual text into machine-readable content, allowing your security tools to catch things that would normally slip past text-based filters.
OCR can help you detect:
  • Phishing text hidden in images to bypass text-based filters
  • Suspicious language or instructions in scanned documents
  • QR codes with malicious links
  • Brand impersonation attempts using image-based logos or text
  • Requests for sensitive information disguised in images
For example, attackers often embed fake login prompts or instructions to call a "customer support" number in images. These tricks are designed to bypass traditional security filters, but OCR can extract and analyze the text to flag it as malicious before it reaches you.
Blog Posts
Hiding a $50,000 BEC financial fraud in a fake email thread · Blog · Sublime Security
Hiding a $50,000 BEC financial fraud in a fake email thread · Blog · Sublime Security
Call Me Maybe? The Rise of Callback Phishing Emails · Blog · Sublime Security
Call Me Maybe? The Rise of Callback Phishing Emails · Blog · Sublime Security
Detecting Credential Phishing using Deep Learning + MQL · Blog · Sublime Security
Detecting Credential Phishing using Deep Learning + MQL · Blog · Sublime Security
Attack Types (6):
Credential Phishing
BEC/Fraud
Callback Phishing
Spam
Malware/Ransomware
Extortion
Tactics & Techniques (15):
Impersonation: Brand
Social engineering
PDF
Evasion
Open redirect
Image as content
Free email provider
Out of band pivot
Free file host
Free subdomain host
QR code
Spoofing
Macros
Encryption
Impersonation: VIP
Rule Name & Severity
Last Updated
Author
Types, Tactics & Capabilities
Link: Multistage landing - Abused Adobe Acrobat hosted PDF
3h ago
Oct 26th, 2026
Sublime Security
Credential Phishing
Impersonation: Brand
Social engineering
Computer Vision
Optical Character Recognition
URL analysis
Header analysis
Sender analysis
Attachment: Re-stamped invoice PDF with IRS references from external sender
11d ago
Oct 16th, 2026
Sublime Security
BEC/Fraud
PDF
Social engineering
Impersonation: Brand
Exif analysis
File analysis
Optical Character Recognition
Open Redirect: Google domain with /url path and suspicious indicators
13d ago
Oct 14th, 2026
Sublime Security
Credential Phishing
Evasion
Open redirect
Computer Vision
Content analysis
File analysis
Header analysis
Natural Language Understanding
Optical Character Recognition
Sender analysis
URL analysis
Attachment: Fictitious invoice using LinkedIn's address
18d ago
Oct 9th, 2026
Sublime Security
BEC/Fraud
PDF
Social engineering
File analysis
Optical Character Recognition
Natural Language Understanding
Content analysis
Exif analysis
Attachment: Fake email body embedded in inline image
22d ago
Oct 5th, 2026
Sublime Security
Credential Phishing
Image as content
Social engineering
Evasion
Optical Character Recognition
Natural Language Understanding
HTML analysis
Header analysis
Sender analysis
Attachment: PDF credential phishing via wkhtmltopdf/Qt with suspicious link
26d ago
Oct 1st, 2026
Sublime Security
Credential Phishing
PDF
Open redirect
Social engineering
Exif analysis
Optical Character Recognition
Natural Language Understanding
URL analysis
File analysis
Attachment: Callback phishing solicitation via pdf file
29d ago
Sep 28th, 2026
Sublime Security
Callback Phishing
Evasion
Free email provider
Out of band pivot
PDF
Social engineering
Exif analysis
File analysis
Optical Character Recognition
Sender analysis
Callback phishing via e-signature service
29d ago
Sep 28th, 2026
Sublime Security
Callback Phishing
Free email provider
Impersonation: Brand
Social engineering
Content analysis
Computer Vision
Header analysis
Optical Character Recognition
Attachment: Image-only docx/pptx callback phishing
29d ago
Sep 28th, 2026
Sublime Security
Callback Phishing
Image as content
Impersonation: Brand
Social engineering
File analysis
Optical Character Recognition
Content analysis
Attachment: Callback phishing solicitation via image file
29d ago
Sep 28th, 2026
@vector_sec
Callback Phishing
Evasion
Free email provider
Out of band pivot
Social engineering
Image as content
Content analysis
Optical Character Recognition
Sender analysis
URL analysis
Computer Vision
Brand impersonation: Fake Fax
1mo ago
Sep 25th, 2026
Sublime Security
Credential Phishing
Impersonation: Brand
Image as content
Free file host
Free subdomain host
Social engineering
Computer Vision
Content analysis
Optical Character Recognition
Sender analysis
URL analysis
Attachment: PDF with version-only producer and default metadata
1mo ago
Sep 25th, 2026
Sublime Security
BEC/Fraud
Credential Phishing
Image as content
Social engineering
Evasion
Exif analysis
Optical Character Recognition
Content analysis
Brand impersonation: Internal Revenue Service
1mo ago
Sep 24th, 2026
Sublime Security
BEC/Fraud
Credential Phishing
Impersonation: Brand
Social engineering
Content analysis
Natural Language Understanding
Optical Character Recognition
Sender analysis
Attachment: Microsoft 365 credential phishing
1mo ago
Sep 23rd, 2026
Sublime Security
Credential Phishing
Impersonation: Brand
Social engineering
Content analysis
File analysis
Header analysis
Optical Character Recognition
Sender analysis
Commonly abused sender TLD with engaging language
1mo ago
Sep 23rd, 2026
Sublime Security
Credential Phishing
Social engineering
File analysis
Natural Language Understanding
Optical Character Recognition
Sender analysis
URL analysis
Credential phishing: DocuSign embedded image lure with no DocuSign domains in links
1mo ago
Sep 23rd, 2026
Sublime Security
Credential Phishing
Impersonation: Brand
Social engineering
Computer Vision
Content analysis
Header analysis
Natural Language Understanding
Optical Character Recognition
Sender analysis
Attachment: Adobe image lure in body or attachment with suspicious link
1mo ago
Sep 23rd, 2026
Sublime Security
Credential Phishing
Image as content
Impersonation: Brand
Content analysis
Computer Vision
Optical Character Recognition
Sender analysis
URL analysis
Brand impersonation: Microsoft with low reputation links
1mo ago
Sep 23rd, 2026
Sublime Security
Credential Phishing
Free file host
Image as content
Impersonation: Brand
Social engineering
Computer Vision
Content analysis
File analysis
Header analysis
Natural Language Understanding
Optical Character Recognition
Sender analysis
URL analysis
Cloud storage impersonation with credential theft indicators
1mo ago
Sep 23rd, 2026
Sublime Security
Credential Phishing
Free file host
Image as content
Impersonation: Brand
Social engineering
Computer Vision
Content analysis
Header analysis
Natural Language Understanding
Optical Character Recognition
Sender analysis
URL analysis
Brand impersonation: Square
1mo ago
Sep 23rd, 2026
Sublime Security
Credential Phishing
Impersonation: Brand
Social engineering
Computer Vision
Content analysis
Header analysis
Natural Language Understanding
Optical Character Recognition
Sender analysis
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