Introduction

In this walkthrough, I cover the investigation of various phishing scenarios from the TryHackMe 'The Phishing Pond' room. We will explore common attacker tactics, analyze suspicious email elements, and walk through the 10 levels required to secure the final flag.

Phishing

Phishing is a type of scam where attackers try to abuse your trust in order to trick you into giving away personal information, passwords, or even money. These messages often look real and convincing, which is why phishing is so common and effective. In fact, it's one of the most widespread ways attackers break into accounts or steal data, because it targets people directly rather than trying to hack computers.

It is important for us to be able to identify common strategies used by attackers when creating phishing campaigns. Such tactics include, but aren't limited to:

• Urgency & scare tactics: Subject lines like "Immediate action required" are designed to pressure you.
• Look-alike sender addresses: Fake domains with tiny changes (e.g., rnicrosoft.com instead of microsoft.com).
• Display name impersonation: Sender name looks familiar, but the email address doesn't match.
• Malicious attachments: Files (DOC/XLS/ZIP) asking you to "enable macros" or containing malware.
• Compromised real accounts: Emails from hacked accounts that look legitimate but have odd requests.
• Too-good-to-be-true offers: Fake prizes, refunds, or job opportunities requiring personal details.

Start the VM by clicking the Start Machine button below.

Wait for a minute until the LAB_WEB_URL has been replaced in the following link and click it to access the game:

10-48-133-191.reverse-proxy.cell-prod-ap-south-1a.vm.tryhackme.com

We have 3 Lives attempts to succed and need to answer 10 realisitics email examples. Each email question has 30 seconds time limit to answers. (The question is random)

Level 1 : Phishing Email

This is a Phishing email. The URL shadylink.fake is an obvious red flag for a malicious site. Answer:

Contains a suspicious third-party survey link.

Level 2: Phishing Email

This is a Phishing email. The domain social.example-security.com is a fake domain meant to steal logins. Answer:

Redirects to a malicious password reset page

Level 3: Phishing Email

This is a Phishing email. Requests for gift cards via email are classic signs of a compromised account. Answer:

Unusual request from a normally legitimate contact

Level 4: Phishing Email

This is a Phishing email. Forcing a login via an external link like secure-login.example.com is a theft tactic. Answer:

Contains a link to a credential-collecting page

Level 5: Phishing Email

This is a Phishing email. An HR representative would not use a personal @gmail.com account for payroll. Answer:

Display name looks familiar but the email address doesn't match

Level 6: Phishing Email

This is a Phishing email. The link uses "paypel" (a typo of PayPal) on a suspicious external domain. Answer:

Payment link points to a suspicious domain

Level 7: This is Not Phishing

This is not a Phishing email. This is a standard internal notification sent from the correct tryhackme.com domain. Answer:

THIS IS NOT PHISHING

Level 8: Phishing Email

This is a Phishing email. Attackers use macros to bypass security and install malware on your system. Answer:

Asks to enable macros in an attachment

Level 9: This is Not Phishing

This is not a Phishing email. The sender address is legitimate, and it is a routine meeting reminder with no links. Answer:

THIS IS NOT PHISHING

Level 10: Phishing Email

This is a Phishing email. It uses threats of "permanent suspension" to trick you into clicking a link quickly. Answer:

Uses urgent scare language to force action

Final Flag

Your Flag is:

THM{i_phish_you_not}

Congratulations, you have acquired the flag!

Conclusion: Decoding the Hook

Completing The Phishing Pond was an excellent exercise in the art of email analysis. It moves beyond just "knowing" what phishing is and teaches the technical skills needed to prove an email is malicious by looking under the hood at the email headers and source code.

🛡️ Key Lessons Learned:

• Trust Nothing but the Headers: Attackers can easily spoof a "From" name, but the headers (like Return-Path and Received) tell the true story of where the email originated.
• The Importance of Sandboxing: Inspecting suspicious URLs or attachments in a safe, isolated environment is critical to avoid accidental infection.
• Proactive Defense: Security isn't just about blocking emails; it's about understanding the tactics attackers use so we can stay one step ahead.

This room is a great reminder that in cybersecurity, a healthy dose of skepticism is one of your best tools. By paying attention to the small details, we can keep our organizations safe from even the most convincing "hooks."