Display text URL differs from actual URL

Synopsis

Field	Value
Activation Period	14 Days
Training Period	30 Days
Test Period	N/A (single event)
Deduplication Period	1 Hour 30 Minutes
Required Data	Microsoft 365 Emails
Detection Modules	Email
Detector Tags	Malicious URLs
ATT&CK Tactic	Initial Access (TA0001)
ATT&CK Technique	Phishing (T1566)
Severity	Informational

Description

An email contains a hyperlink whose display text shows a URL different from the actual destination URL.

Attacker's Goals

Deceive recipients into trusting a visible URL while redirecting them to a different destination, often for phishing, credential harvesting, or malware delivery.

Investigative actions

• Review the display text URL and the actual destination URL.
• Verify the reputation and legitimacy of the destination domain.
• Check whether the sender or domain is known or trusted within the organization.