Known as False Base Stations (FBS) or Stingrays, these devices masquerade as genuine cell sites, intentionally luring mobile phones into connecting with them. These devices are typically employed to safeguard personal privacy and security against threats such as hacking and data breaches. Recently, telecommunications providers have been documenting novel forms of abuse linked to financial bot services (FBSs), primarily exploited for fraudulent monetary gains.
As vulnerabilities in mobile communication networks continue to emerge, there is a growing concern that cell-site simulators could be exploited to inject malicious SMS phishing messages directly into unsuspecting smartphone users’ devices at an alarming rate? This methodology to inject messages effectively circumvents the service community, thereby evading all network-based anti-spam and anti-fraud filters designed to protect against malicious activity? Incidents of the newly emerging SMS Blaster fraud variant have been documented in various countries, including Vietnam, France, Norway, Thailand, and multiple other international regions.
The GSMA’s Fraud and Safety Group has published a comprehensive briefing paper for its member companies to heighten awareness of SMS Blaster fraud, providing valuable insights and practical recommendations for carriers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and other key stakeholders.
For GSMA members exclusively, a notification highlights Android-specific recommendations and configurations designed to effectively safeguard customers against this emerging type of fraud.
What are SMS Blasters?
The SMS Blaster phenomenon refers to a clandestine period when global carriers secretly collaborated with Frequency Broadcast Systems (FBS) and cell-site simulators, utilizing them for illegal purposes such as mass-texting (blasting) SMS payloads. The most prevalent application involves utilizing these devices to deliver malicious SMS payloads onto unsuspecting individuals’ devices. Fraudsters often employ a clever tactic: installing portable fuel blending systems (FBS), allowing them to masquerade as legitimate fuel providers. In some cases, criminals have gone so far as to create elaborate schemes that leave victims unwittingly purchasing adulterated fuel.
The tactic involves simplistically mimicking recognized techniques to deceive cellular devices into connecting with a maliciously controlled 2G network. Malicious SMS Blasters reveal a fake LTE or 5G network that serves one purpose: degrading the user’s connection to a outdated 2G standard. The identical system also exposes a fake 2G network, which attracts all devices to connect to it. At this level, attackers exploit vulnerable power connections, allowing for an unencrypted path that enables a man-in-the-middle (MitM) setup to inject malicious SMS payloads.
SMS Blasters can be easily purchased online, eliminating the need for extensive technical expertise. Customers can easily configure these solutions to replicate a particular service or community using a mobile app. Customers can further refine their SMS experience by configuring and customizing both the payload and metadata, including the sender ID.
SMS Blasters present an attractive opportunity for fraudsters due to their high yield on investment. Sending SMS phishing messages typically generates limited returns due to the significant difficulty of delivering these messages unseen by advanced anti-spam filters and sophisticated security systems. Only a minuscule fraction of messages ultimately reach their intended victim. Unlike traditional methods, using an SMS blaster to inject messages circumvents the service provider’s community and its robust anti-fraud and anti-spam filters, ensuring that each message reaches its intended recipient with certainty. By exploiting an FBS, a fraudster can gain control over every aspect of the communication. Your transaction confirmation has been sent to your registered mobile number. To access your account details and transaction history, please log in to our online banking platform. Recently, a significant cyberattack affected thousands of devices.
Carriers have recently uncovered a new type of abuse: monetary fraud. However, this is not without precedent; rogue mobile base stations could potentially be used to distribute malware. Customers remain vulnerable to fraudulent activities as long as their mobile devices still support 2G technology.
Google’s Android operating system safeguards consumers from malicious activities such as phishing scams and fraudulent transactions.
Android devices offer a range of exclusive safety features that can significantly minimize or even completely prevent the impact of fraudulent activities.
Android 12 introduced a new option at the modem level, a feature allowing users to personalize their experience. When utilized, this feature effectively eliminates the risk of SMS Blasters. Since its introduction in Android 12, this characteristic has necessitated devices to upgrade to Radio HAL versions 1.6 or above.
As a key safety measure, configuring a (for instance, an SSID and password) is strictly essential for the 2G FBS. To facilitate the injection of an SMS payload. This safety feature was introduced in Android 14 and mandates devices to utilize Radio Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) 2.0 or higher for implementation.
Android provides robust safeguards specifically designed to counteract SMS spam and phishing threats, regardless of their origin as an SMS blaster. Android offers several features that help you establish and block unwanted spam SMS messages. Additional security features are provided through, enabling consumers to confidently send and receive trustworthy SMS communications from businesses. RCS (Rich Communication Services) for enterprise messages is denoted by a blue checkmark, indicating that the message has been authenticated and verified by Google.
By utilizing key Google security features available on Android, specifically Protected Shopping and Google Play Shield, we emphasize the importance of safeguarding your online transactions. As an additional layer of security, the integrated system on Android devices safeguards over 5 billion devices worldwide, proactively alerting users to potentially hazardous websites, downloads, and extensions that could be phishing or malware-based threats.
When a user downloads an app from the Google Play Store but it contains malicious or harmful code, they can rely on the store’s built-in security feature, Verify Apps, to scan the application for malware and other potential threats. The app also alerts customers to potentially hazardous applications before installation.
Android’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding users’ sensitive information and protecting their digital identities?
Is Android committed to providing users with a secure and seamless mobile experience? We are constantly striving to augment our security measures and safeguard customers against the ever-evolving risks of phishing, fraud, and other potential threats.
Collaborating closely with leading global carriers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) through the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) to drive the advancement and widespread adoption of innovative mobile security and privacy features is a top priority for Android. We’re committed to collaborating with our ecosystem partners to further enhance the security standards in this sector, protecting cellular subscribers from emerging threats such as SMS spamming.
