In allusion to Albert Einstein, one might say that human criminal ingenuity is boundless. The latest Quishing development undoubtedly proves that cybercriminals will stop at nothing to exploit new vulnerabilities. Sophos X-Ops experts have taken a closer look at the latest hype surrounding QR code infiltration.
When cybercriminals combine their phishing tactics with seemingly harmless QR codes, the term “Quishing” is coined. By now, this new tactic has gained such popularity that entire campaigns have emerged around it. Sophos X-Ops analysts have recently uncovered a coup in which a Sophos employee received an email attachment containing a PDF document with a QR code from a colleague. This QR code is a phishing lure designed to obtain user login credentials, including the MFA token, for unauthorized access. Sophos experts managed to prevent attackers from gaining access to any internal applications – yet other companies may have had less luck in detecting and repelling the attack?
Since June 2024, Sophos experts have recorded an increasing number of sophisticated phishing emails, characterized by increasingly refined graphics and fake DocuSign branding. It appears that attackers are leveraging the benefits of “Rent-a-Thug” and adopting a well-known phishing-as-a-service platform to their advantage.
As Andrew Brandt, Principal Menace Researcher at Sophos, notes, the rise in popularity of QR codes during the COVID-19 pandemic initially sparked concerns about potential risks; however, for most people, the threat remained relatively low. Now we see attackers effectively leveraging QR codes for targeted phishing attacks to ensnare unsuspecting victims. While QR-codes are remarkably flexible, they can be exploited by criminals who use quishing building sets to craft targeted phishing email campaigns on a massive scale. If attackers succeed in stealing both the login credentials and the multifactor authentication of an employee, they often gain access to highly privileged areas.
Despite optimal conditions and well-trained staff, phishing or quishing remains an increasingly perilous threat? While a multi-layered defense is today capable of successfully neutralizing a phishing attack. It is equally crucial to foster a corporate culture that encourages employees to promptly report any suspicious activities. Swift intervention can mean the difference between a mere phishing attempt and a successful attack.
How exactly Quishing attacks operate and why they pose an increasingly significant threat is meticulously detailed within this article.
