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Malware2 MIN read

A CAPTCHA should not ask you to run a command

If a verification box sends you into Run, PowerShell, or Terminal, stop before pasting anything.

Saved only in this browser. No account needed. Does not sync. Clearing browser data removes the list.

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A page asks you to prove you are human. Then it tells you to open a system tool and paste something. That change of location is your warning. Microsoft documents this trick as ClickFix: a convincing verification or error screen persuades someone to execute a command that can install malware.

1. Notice when the instructions leave the browser. Treat a CAPTCHA that asks for Windows Run, PowerShell, or Terminal as suspicious. Familiar logos and a polished layout do not make that request trustworthy. Microsoft has observed attackers copying the appearance of verification services and using compromised websites to display the trap.

2. Close the page without testing the command. Clicking the fake verification box can place text on your clipboard without showing you what it contains. Do not paste it into a system tool to see what happens. You do not need to decode the command to decide against running it.

3. Be precise about what happened. Did you only see the page, click its button, or actually paste and run something? Write down the approximate time and site address if you already have them. Do not revisit the page just to collect evidence. These details give a support person a useful starting point.

4. Get help if you ran it. On a work or school device, tell your IT team promptly and follow its instructions. For a personal Windows device, Microsoft recommends a full Windows Security scan after a scam-related compromise. If you need help, use the device manufacturer or a support company you already trust. Do not call a number supplied by the suspicious page.

Stopping before execution avoids completing this particular command-running step. It does not establish that the whole device is clean. If you ran the command, closing the browser is not a complete cleanup plan; the right recovery steps depend on what executed.

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