QR Codes have now become an important part of our daily lives. From scanning product information to visiting websites, OR codes are everywhere and provide us with a fast and efficient way to share and access data. But now day cybercriminals are using QR codes to conduct phishing attacks to steal personal user information such as login credentials or credit card numbers. In this article, we'll take a closer look at "What Quishing is and how the cybercriminal carries it out".
Cyberattacks using QR codes have increased by 400% in 2024, according to cybersecurity reports. Hackers exploit the trust people have in QR codes to trick them into scanning fake codes.
What is Quishing?
Quishing also known as QR code Phishing is a type of phishing attack in which instead of using malicious attachments or links it uses a QR code to trick users into scanning them. When users scan QR codes developed by cybercriminals to perform phishing attacks, they are redirected to a malicious website that either inserts malware into the user's devices or asks them to give their personal information like login credentials or credit card numbers.
What is a QR Code?
Quick response (QR) codes are barcodes that can be scanned by digital devices that store information as pixels in a square grid. These codes usually contain information such as a web address, and when you scan it, the code connects you to the web resource. These codes can contain more information than barcodes and typically use four data types, i.e. alphanumeric, numeric, binary, and Kanji. QR code is a two-dimensional (2D) barcode used to easily access information online via the digital camera on a smartphone or tablet.
How Does Quishing Work?
The attacking process begins when a cybercriminal creates a malicious website. A malicious website is specifically designed to trick targets into downloading malware to the target device when they land on the page or trick the target into revealing their sensitive data. Once the malware enters the system, it initiates its replication mechanism, which helps it create multiple copies of itself using available resources. The replication process enables the virus to spread its effect throughout the system.
Once the malicious website is ready then cybercriminals generate a QR code that connects with that malicious website. As we know QR code is like a special barcode with a link encoded inside. we can scan it with our phone or a barcode reader. When the QR code is ready cybercriminals will send the QR code via email or text message or place them in public spaces such as posters for people to scan. When someone scans the QR code they end up on a fake website that injects malware or asks to share personal information.
In 2023, a major quishing attack involved fake QR codes on parking meters in Texas, leading victims to enter credit card details on a scam website, causing thousands of dollars in losses.
Understanding QRLJacking
Quick Response ID sign-in (QRL) is a great way to authenticate users using QR codes to log in to a website, app, or digital service. Users don’t have to manually enter their username and password, they can use their smartphone to scan the QR code displayed on the app or website’s login screen. This will either log them in directly or allow them to identify themselves using a second authentication method
Quishing Challenge
Quishing involves the use of multiple devices which poses various challenges for the organization. When cybercriminals send a quashing email with a QR code to a target user, the user might receive the quishing email on one device and then use another device to scan the QR code and open the linked webpage. This presents a challenge for the organization as they cannot effectively scan the email for potential threats using their cybersecurity protocol. If the target user opens this email using a work device then there is a chance that the organization's devices could be infected with the malware if the organization's security tool fails to detect and block the threat.
What Happens If You Scan a Fraudulent QR Code?
- Scammers create websites that look exactly like you want and then ask you for sensitive information. But everything you enter (name, contact information, credit card number) is sent to scammers and can be used to steal your identity.
- QR codes can also download malicious software like malware, ransomware, and Trojans to your device. "These viruses can spy on you, steal your sensitive data or information (like photos and videos), and even gain access to your device until you pay a price.
- QR codes don't just take you to a website. Scammers may also collect codes to open payment sites, follow accounts on social media, and email them before collecting them.
How to Detect a Quishing Attack
Spotting Quishing attack on time is very important to protect ourselves. Some of the signs help us in detecting the QR code has been infected or not.
- Check email origin and use email filters: Check the sender's email address. Reputable organizations usually have official email addresses. Therefore aware if the email comes from an unknown or suspicious source. Use an email filtering system that helps in identifying potential malicious emails and putting them away from the inbox.
- Text Analysis: To identify an email as a phishing email, try to pay attention to how the email is written. If it tries to make you worried or rushed then try to avoid this type of email.
- QR code detection: Cybercriminals attach QR codes in emails to perform quishing attacks. With a secure QR scanner, we can decrypt the encrypted link in the QR and then check the link for threats. If the link is secure then a secure QR scanner will prompt us to open it in our device's default browser.
How to Prevent a Successful Quishing Attack?
- If quishing attack happens to you then, contact your financial institution immediately and alert it to the situation.
- Unless you initiated the call, do not give out personal financial information, including your Social Security number, social security number, or password, over the phone or online. Do not click on links in emails that you suspect are fraudulent. It may contain viruses that can infect your computer.
- Don't be afraid of emails or phone calls suggesting you face dire consequences if you don't provide or verify financial information promptly. If you think the link is legitimate, go directly to the website address or use the page you typed in earlier (not the link in the email) to access the website.
How Can End-Users Prevent Quishing Attack?
To protect ourselves from Quishing attacks we should follow some security measures. By taking these precautions we can proactively protect ourselves and minimize the risk of falling victim to a Quishing attack.
- Backup data regularly: Regular data backup is very important as it helps us minimize the risk of data loss or file corruption.
- Enable multi-factor authentication on account: Enabling multi-factor authentication on our account helps prevent fraud and improves overall security because multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer to the login process. Somehow even if hackers successfully trick us into scanning a malicious QR code they still need another form of verification to access the account.
- Avoid Scanning unknown QR codes: We should always avoid unknown QR codes because if we scan a malicious QR code it can redirect us to a malicious website that can either inject malware into our device or steal our personal information.
- Check the authenticity of the QR code website address: After scanning the QR code be sure to check the link of the QR code before clicking on it. Make sure it is an official website and not a fake one. Today antivirus programs have a WebAdvisor tool that helps us determine whether a website is safe to click on based on the URL and page content.
- Use effective security suites and antivirus software: To protect our device or computer from known and unknown threats effective and up-to-date security suites and antivirus software are essential. These tools protect against all forms of viruses and other potential threats.
- Keep operating systems and security software up to date: Keeping operating systems and security software up to date helps in protecting against recently discovered vulnerabilities. Through regular updates, we ensure that any newly discovered vulnerabilities are patched making it harder for attackers to exploit them. Conclusion
Conclusion
QR codes are an integral part of our daily lives, but cybercriminals are now also using them to conduct phishing attacks to steal user personal information such as login details or credit card numbers. The attacker creates a malicious QR code that looks like a genuine QR code but redirects users to a Fraudulent website which is designed by the attacker to steal user personal information or deploy malware into the stem. Therefore, it is going to be very important to detect and prevent quishing attacks on time. By verifying the authenticity of QR codes and using email filters and security software, users can reduce the risks associated with scanning QR codes.
Studies show that 70% of users do not check the destination URL before scanning a QR code, making them easy targets for quishing attacks.