How Attackers Use Multi-Hop Google Redirects to Bypass Email Security
In September 2026, cybersecurity researchers at KnowBe4 identified a sophisticated phishing campaign exploiting multiple Google services to evade detection systems. Threat actors chained together Google Meet, DoubleClick, Google Custom Search, and other Google infrastructure to create multi-hop redirect sequences that appear legitimate to security gateways. The campaign dynamically constructs credential harvesting pages based on victim email addresses and deploys ScreenConnect remote access tools through fake identity verification prompts. Victims' stolen credentials are delivered to operators via Telegram channels within seconds, along with IP addresses, geolocation data, and organizational details. This incident highlights the evolving sophistication of phishing attacks that abuse trusted infrastructure to bypass traditional security controls. As threat actors increasingly leverage legitimate cloud services for malicious purposes, organizations face growing challenges in detecting attacks that appear benign at every inspection point until the final malicious payload is delivered.
Kill Chain
