Cybercriminals Weaponize Graphics Files in Phishing Attacks www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cybe…

Cybercriminals have ramped up their use of graphics files to spread malicious links and malware during email phishing attacks, according to new research by Sophos.

The tactic is designed to bypass conventional endpoint or mail protection tools.

Attackers have been observed using the graphics file format scalable vector graphics (SVG) for this purpose. SVGs contain Extensible Markup Language (XML)-like text instructions to draw resizable, vector-based images on a computer.

The researchers first observed the spread of malicious SVG file attachments in late 2024 and this approach has accelerated since mid-January 2025.

These lures included new voicemails, contracts, payment confirmation and health and benefits enrolment.

The attacks also impersonate a number of well-known brands and services, including DocuSign, Microsoft SharePoint, Dropbox and Google Voice.