British Airways Payment Page Attack

The 2018 British Airways data breach represents a sophisticated example of how XSS can be weaponized for financial gain. Attackers compromised BA's payment processing page using a technique known as web skimming or formjacking, injecting malicious JavaScript that harvested credit card details from approximately 380,000 customers. The attack went undetected for over two weeks, during which attackers collected complete payment information including names, addresses, email addresses, and credit card details including CVV numbers.

The attackers demonstrated exceptional operational security and planning. They registered a domain similar to BA's legitimate infrastructure and obtained an SSL certificate to avoid browser warnings. The malicious script was crafted to be as inconspicuous as possible, mimicking legitimate payment processing behavior while silently exfiltrating data to attacker-controlled servers. The script specifically targeted the payment form, activating only when users entered credit card information, making it harder to detect through casual testing.

The financial and reputational damage to British Airways was severe. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office initially announced a record £183 million fine under GDPR, later reduced to £20 million due to COVID-19 considerations. Beyond the regulatory penalties, BA faced numerous lawsuits, compensation claims, and a significant loss of customer trust. The incident highlighted how modern XSS attacks have evolved from simple defacements to sophisticated financial crimes with serious legal and business consequences.