ClickFix Smuggles Payloads Through Browser Cache to Bypass Windows Run Limits

The ClickFix attack variant exploits user trust by embedding malicious VBScript and PowerShell payloads inside files disguised as PNG images, pre-fetched into the browser cache via compromised websites. Attackers leverage this technique specifically to bypass Windows Run dialog character limits, a clever abuse of legitimate browser caching behavior that evades many traditional defenses. The ultimate goal is credential theft through process injection into trusted, legitimate Windows processes, making detection significantly harder. This attack succeeds largely because end users are socially engineered into initiating the execution chain, and because default browser and system configurations do not restrict these abuse vectors.