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Web fundamentals

TLS: encrypted traffic can still reach a scam website

Transport security protects a connection; it does not validate the business at the other end.

Web2 foundation · 1 min read

Research articles and reference entries are published in English. Navigation is available in seven languages.

In this article
  1. What the connection protects
  2. Separate the checks
  3. Sources and originals

What the connection protects

TLS provides cryptographic protection for communication between endpoints. In ordinary HTTPS browsing, certificate validation helps the browser authenticate the hostname it requested. Encryption and integrity protection limit interception and alteration in transit.

The important word is requested. A deceptive domain can operate its own valid HTTPS service. Securely delivering a fraudulent page does not make its contents honest, its owner trustworthy or its requested wallet action appropriate.

Separate the checks

Inspect the destination name, the page's claim and the requested action separately. If a supposed account notice sends you to an unfamiliar domain, a valid certificate does not resolve the mismatch. If the browser reports a certificate failure, do not treat clicking through it as routine troubleshooting for a financial session.

A research report should distinguish an expired certificate, an impersonating domain and malicious page content. They involve different evidence and different remedies. Reissuing a certificate would not fix a deceptive signing request. See domain resolution and the boundary between a page and a signature.

Sources and originals

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