An SMS phishing (smishing) campaign is attempting to trick Apple device users into disabling measures designed to protect them against malicious links, BleepingComputer reports.
“Apple iMessage automatically disables links in messages received from unknown senders, whether that be an email address or phone number,” BleepingComputer explains.
“However, Apple told BleepingComputer that if a user replies to that message or adds the sender to their contact list, the links will be enabled....Over the past couple of months, BleepingComputer has seen a surge in smishing attacks that attempt to trick users into replying to a text so that links are enabled again.”
The messages purport to be routine text notifications, such as package delivery updates or unpaid road toll notices. Unlike past smishing attempts, however, the messages contain instructing users, “Please reply Y, then exit the text message, reopen the text message activation link, or copy the link to Safari browser to open it.” If a user follows these instructions, they’ll be able to click on the phishing link.
“As users have become used to typing STOP, Yes, or NO to confirm appointments or opt out of text messages, the threat actors are hoping this familiar act will lead the text recipient to reply to the text and enable the links,” BleepingComputer notes.
“Doing so will enable the links again and turn off iMessage's built-in phishing protection for this text. Even if a user doesn't click on the now-enabled link, the act of replying tells the threat actor that they now have a target that responds to phishing texts, making them a bigger target.”
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BleepingComputer has the story.
