Exploiting Trust: Scammers Target Organizations Through Atlassian Jira Vulnerabilities
Cybercriminals Exploit Atlassian Jira’s Reputation in Large-Scale Phishing Campaign
Cybercriminals have been exploiting the trusted reputation of Atlassian Jira to launch a large-scale phishing campaign against organizations. The attackers utilized a legitimate feature of the Jira platform to send convincing scam emails to victims. The emails were sent from genuine Atlassian Jira Cloud addresses, making them appear authentic.
Targeting Organizations with Active Jira Instances
Between late December 2025 and late January 2026, the attackers targeted organizations that were already using Jira, selecting domains with active Jira instances. This approach increased the likelihood that recipients would trust the emails, as they were accustomed to receiving Jira notifications.
Enticing Recipients with Crafted Subject Lines
The subject lines of the emails were crafted to entice recipients to click on links, promising gifts, bonuses, or special gaming opportunities. In some cases, the attackers used standard Jira-generated subject lines, which were less effective in enticing recipients.
Redirecting Recipients to Malicious Websites
The ultimate goal of the campaign was to direct recipients to websites promoting investment scams and online casinos. The emails were tailored to target individuals who spoke English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian.
Notably, the target lists included highly skilled individuals born in Russia who were living and working abroad, suggesting that the campaign had specific objectives beyond mere financial gain.
Abusing Atlassian’s Infrastructure
To carry out the campaign, the attackers created trial Atlassian accounts and set up disposable Jira Cloud instances without verifying domain ownership. They then used the platform’s built-in automation features to send the emails. Because the emails were sent through Atlassian’s infrastructure, they carried valid authentication, making them appear trustworthy to security filters and users.
Exploiting Trust in Jira Notifications
Organizations that relied heavily on collaboration tools, such as Jira, were prime targets, particularly those with high volumes of notifications. The attackers exploited the trust that users had in Jira notifications, making it more likely that recipients would click on the malicious links.
Risks Associated with Abusing Trusted SaaS Platforms
The campaign highlights the risks associated with abusing trusted software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms. The use of legitimate features and infrastructure can make it challenging for security filters and users to distinguish between genuine and malicious emails.
As such, organizations must remain vigilant and implement robust security measures to protect against such threats.
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