Google Apps Script Turns Into a New Cybersecurity Risk? TraceX Labs Reveals Phishing, Malware and SEO Spam Abuse

Google Apps Script is a legitimate cloud platform used to create web applications, automate workflows and interact with different Google services. Its Web Apps can process HTTP requests, accept parameters, generate HTML pages and communicate with external resources.

However, a new threat intelligence report from TraceX Labs examines how these legitimate capabilities can potentially be abused by third parties.

The report, released on September 30, 2026, is titled “Abuse of Google Apps Script Web Apps for Phishing, Fraud, Malware Distribution, SEO Manipulation, Spam, CSAM/CSE-Related Abuse and Malicious Redirection.”

It has been assigned the identification number GLOBAL-026, with the threat assessment classified as High.

Important: TraceX Labs does not describe Google Apps Script itself as a malicious platform. The focus is on how its infrastructure and features may be misused.

How Can Google Apps Script Be Misused?

According to the report, users may encounter an Apps Script URL through search engines, social media, email or messaging platforms.

The URL can potentially act as an intermediate layer before sending the user to another website, landing page or external resource.

This makes the initial URL only one part of a potentially larger infrastructure chain.

For security analysts, this means an investigation should not necessarily stop at the Apps Script URL itself.

Phishing and Online Fraud

Phishing and online fraud are among the major categories examined in the report.

The report discusses activity involving:

• Credential harvesting
• Investment scams
• Employment scams
• Fake payment pages
• Impersonation
• Social engineering
• Redirect-based campaigns

In such cases, an Apps Script Web App may function as a landing page, intermediate page or redirector before sending the victim to external infrastructure.

This can make the investigation more complicated because the first URL encountered by a user may not be the final destination involved in the campaign.

Malware and Android APK Distribution

TraceX Labs also examined cases involving malicious Android APK distribution and malware delivery.

However, the report makes an important distinction: the presence of a Google Apps Script URL alone does not prove that a file or campaign is malicious.

According to the report, technical analysis or reliable reputation information is required before classifying a file as malware.

Security analysts are therefore advised to examine additional indicators such as:

• Redirect destination
• Downloaded file
• File hash
• Endpoint activity
• Related infrastructure

These indicators can help determine whether an Apps Script URL is simply an intermediate layer or part of a larger malicious campaign.

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SEO Spam and Search Engine Manipulation

Another major area highlighted by the report is SEO manipulation.

TraceX Labs identifies several indicators that can be useful during an investigation, including:

• Keyword-heavy pages
• Doorway pages
• Automatically generated content
• Repeated templates
• Unrelated keywords
• Large numbers of outbound links
• Redirect chains

If infrastructure is intentionally used to manipulate search visibility, the report associates such activity with MITRE ATT&CK T1608.006 — SEO Poisoning.

The report also discusses backlink manipulation and spam affecting Google Search and Video Search.

Spam Campaigns Cover Multiple Categories

The report examines several different forms of spam and abuse associated with potentially misused infrastructure.

These include:

• Gambling and betting spam
• Adult and NSFW spam
• Drug-related spam
• Deepfake and synthetic media spam
• Google Video and Search spam
• Movie piracy-related search activity

TraceX Labs also cautions that the presence of keywords related to gambling, drugs or piracy on a page does not automatically establish cybercrime. Context, behaviour and supporting evidence are required for classification.

NCII and Sextortion Investigations

The report separately identifies Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery (NCII) and sextortion as sensitive investigation categories.

TraceX Labs recommends particular care when handling evidence related to these cases.

Researchers should avoid unnecessarily downloading, reproducing or redistributing sensitive material. Where reporting requires evidence, the report recommends using appropriately redacted material.

What Does the Report Say About Suspected CSAM/CSE Infrastructure?

One of the most sensitive sections of the report concerns suspected CSAM/CSE-related infrastructure.

Importantly, TraceX Labs classifies this finding as:

“Suspected / Corroboration Required.”

That means the report does not present the finding as an independently established fact. It explicitly indicates that additional evidence and corroboration are required.

The report again stresses careful evidence handling and advises against unnecessarily downloading, reproducing or redistributing suspected illegal material.

Deepfake and Synthetic Media Activity

Deepfake and synthetic-media-related spam is another category covered in the research.

The report notes that simply finding synthetic or manipulated media does not establish the purpose of a campaign.

Instead, analysts should correlate the content with:

• Distribution channels
• URLs
• Redirects
• Related infrastructure
• Campaign behaviour

This broader analysis can provide additional context about how the content is being distributed.

Malicious Redirects Are Another Important Clue

Redirect behaviour is another major investigation area highlighted by TraceX Labs.

An Apps Script Web App may potentially serve as an intermediate point that sends users toward an external website or resource.

Security teams are therefore advised to investigate the complete redirect chain and final destination, rather than stopping at the original Apps Script URL.

The final destination may reveal additional information about phishing pages, malware downloads, scam infrastructure or other campaign components.

A Google URL Does Not Automatically Mean a Website Is Safe

One of the report’s key messages is that a URL associated with Google does not automatically prove that its content is safe or legitimate.

According to TraceX Labs, a Google-owned URL does not establish that Google created or endorsed the content, operates the final destination or considers related external infrastructure trustworthy.

Similarly, HTTPS alone is not proof that content is legitimate.

Security teams should focus on actual behaviour and infrastructure rather than relying only on the name of the hosting provider.

How Can Security Teams Investigate Suspicious Apps Script URLs?

TraceX Labs recommends correlating information from multiple sources.

At the URL level, analysts can examine:

• Suspicious Apps Script URLs
• Unusual parameters
• Repeated deployment identifiers
• Known malicious destinations

Web proxy data can provide information about:

• Redirect chains
• Final destinations
• Downloaded files
• MIME types

Endpoint telemetry can help identify:

• Unexpected APK downloads
• Suspicious file execution
• Browser-originated downloads
• Credential submission activity

The report recommends correlating Apps Script URLs with several additional indicators:

• Destination domains
• IP addresses and ASNs
• Certificates
• URL parameters
• File hashes
• Redirect chains
• Related campaign infrastructure

TraceX Labs Uses Evidence-Based Classification

TraceX Labs says its research uses categories including:

Observed, Correlated, Suspected, Potential, Benign and Unknown.

The report also warns that a URL, screenshot or infrastructure indicator alone cannot establish attribution, criminal intent, ownership or affiliation with Google.

According to the report, attribution should not be made without additional supporting evidence.

This distinction is particularly important when dealing with sensitive categories such as NCII, sextortion and suspected CSAM/CSE-related infrastructure.

Google Apps Script Abuse Mapped to MITRE ATT&CK

The report maps potential activity to several MITRE ATT&CK techniques, including:

• T1583.006 — Web Services
• T1583.007 — Serverless
• T1608.006 — SEO Poisoning
• T1608.001 — Upload Malware
• T1566.002 — Phishing Link

TraceX Labs also notes that techniques such as T1102 — Web Service and T1567 — Exfiltration Over Web Service should only be applied when the corresponding behaviour has actually been observed.

TraceX Labs’ Five-Step Investigation Model

The report proposes a structured five-stage approach for security teams:

Discover → Validate → Correlate → Classify → Report

The model is designed to encourage investigators to move beyond a single URL or indicator and build a broader picture using behavioural and infrastructure evidence.

What Is the Main Security Lesson?

The report’s final assessment identifies Google Apps Script infrastructure as potentially appearing in campaigns involving:

• SEO poisoning
• Spam and doorway pages
• Phishing and fraud
• Malware distribution
• Malicious redirection
• Adult and NSFW spam
• NCII and sextortion
• Suspected CSAM/CSE-related infrastructure
• Gambling and betting spam
• Drug-related spam
• Deepfake and synthetic media
• Google Search and Video spam
• Movie piracy-related search activity

However, the central takeaway is not that Google Apps Script is inherently dangerous.

Instead, TraceX Labs emphasizes that security investigations should consider behaviour, content, destination and relationships between different pieces of infrastructure together.

Final Take

Google Apps Script is a legitimate cloud development and automation platform, but its Web App capabilities can potentially be incorporated into abuse campaigns.

For security teams, the important question is therefore not simply “Is this URL hosted on Google?” but rather “What is the URL doing, where does it lead, what files or content are involved, and what other infrastructure is connected to it?”

TraceX Labs’ evidence-based approach highlights why URL reputation, redirects, endpoint telemetry, file analysis and infrastructure correlation can be important when investigating suspicious activity.