Let's Discuss: QR Codes Phishing

 A QR Code is a type of machine-readable code composed of a grid of black and white array, designed to be scanned and decoded by digital devices such as smartphones. Such as the picture below:

 

Figure 1.

 

QR Codes are valuable tools that streamline processes across various domains and are predominantly employed for business purposes such as accessing and safeguarding sensitive information. Unfortunately, Threat actors are aware of this, and found ways to exploit this knowledge One of them is by a designing system to intercept data through deceptive QR Codes, often called QR Code Phishing. QR Code Phishing is a form of attack used by cyber threat actors to deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information or taking harmful actions. These malicious QR Codes (Quick Response codes). Recognizing the threat, the following questions may arise:

·         What is it?

·         What Can it do?

·         How does it work?

·         What is the impact?

·         Example of breach occurs.

·         Is it controllable?

·         What are the solutions to neutralize the effect?

 

Addressing these questions will give us a better understanding of the situation and strategies to counter the threats posed by QR Code Phishing.

 

 

1.            What is it?

 

QR Code Phishing involves hackers creating QR Codes that, when scanned by an individual’s smartphone or QR Code reader app, lead to malicious websites or trigger actions that compromise the user’s security and privacy.

 

 

2.          What Can it do?

QR Code phishing can have several harmful outcomes including:

·         Leading individuals to fake login pages to steal their credentials.

·         Initiating the download of malware or malware or malicious apps onto an individual’s device.

·         Redirecting individuals to websites that request personal information.

·         Initiating financial transactions without one consent.

 

 

3.         How does it work?

 Hackers created QR codes that appear legitimate but contain malicious payloads. When users scan these codes, they unknowingly trigger the malicious actions embedded within them. The user's device interprets the QR code's data and takes actions based on the encoded information, often without user verification.

 

 

4.         What is the impact?

 

The impact of QR Code phishing can be significant. Individuals can fall victim to various forms of cybercrime, such as identity theft, financial fraud, and the compromise of personal data. Additionally, organizations may suffer reputational damage if attackers use their branding in phishing campaigns.

 

5.         Examples of a breach occurs.

 

A prominent energy corporation in the United States has fallen victim to a phishing operation that managed to evade email security filters, successfully infiltrating inboxes by introducing malicious QR codes. As reported by BleepingComputer, the campaign distributed approximately 1,000 emails, with nearly one-third (29%) of them directed at a prominent U.S. energy company. The remaining phishing attempts were aimed at businesses within various sectors, with manufacturing (15%), insurance (9%), technology (7%), and financial services (6%) being among the targeted industries.  Cofense, the organization that detected this campaign, has highlighted a significant development – this marks the first instance where QR codes have been utilized on such a widespread scale in phishing attempts. This innovation suggests that more malicious actors may be evaluating the efficacy of QR codes as a novel attack vector. While Cofense did not disclose the identity of the energy company subjected to this campaign, they did classify it as a "major" corporation headquartered in the United States. (Toulas, 2023)

 

6.         Is it controllable?

 

While it is challenging to eliminate the possibility of QR Code phishing, it is controllable to some extent through security awareness, user education, and secure QR code readers that check the legitimacy of URLs before loading them.

 

7.         What are the solutions to neutralize the effect?

 

To mitigate the risk of QR Code phishing:

•           User Education: Educate individuals on the risks associated with scanning unknown QR codes and advise them to verify the source before scanning.

•           Secure QR Code Readers: Use trusted and secure QR code reader apps that can check the destination URL for legitimacy before opening it.

•           Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enable MFA for sensitive accounts to provide an additional layer of security.

•           Regular Software Updates: Keep smartphones and QR code reader apps up to date to patch vulnerabilities.

•           Security Policies: Implement strict security policies in organizations to discourage employees from scanning unfamiliar QR codes and accessing sensitive information through them.

 

Remember that QR Code phishing can evolve, so it's essential to stay informed about the latest threats and security best practices to protect against them.

 

 

 

 

References

 

Figure 1. What is QR code and how does it work? Digit Insurance. (2023, August 23). https://www.godigit.com/finance/qr-code/what-is-qr-code-and-how-does-it-work

Toulas, B. (2023, August 16). Major U.S. energy org targeted in QR code phishing attack. BleepingComputer. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/major-us-energy-org-targeted-in-qr-code-phishing-attack/