Of course it’s avoidable! Phone spoofing has been known to be a vulnerability for years, yet so many companies still insist on using SMS for 2FA “for security”. ffs, if you are concerned about security, use a proper TOTP or HOTP, or a hardware token.
Hear, hear! SMD 2FA is absolutely better than not having any 2FA, but it’s still pretty fucking bad. TOTP, or even better FIDO2, should be used as the default standard.
I think the fault lies squarely in the hands of telcos. They’re meant to send you an SMS or call you to confirm any port before it happens. If they’re not following those rules they should be held liable.
On another note I wish banks and other financial institutions would provide other 2FA options in addition to SMS. It’s just crazy that I have better security tech on my Steam account than my bank account.
This has baffled me for years - why don’t they allow MFA through Google Authenticator or equivalent? Especially when this has been a known security issue for so long. Aussie banks are really behind the times on this one.
but they call and pretend to be you and get the number ported to the SIM they have
check out the Hot Swaps episode of Darknet Diaries
But shouldn’t part of that process involve verifying the customer on the phone is currently in possession of the number? ie. Sending a text with a code and having you read the code back to them. Perhaps they manage this by fooling the victim into giving them that info through some other method.
Edit: thanks for the podcast recommendation btw, subscribed and downloading now!
They usually do the latter, by pretending to have lost their phone, and verifying through some other means, whether that be from the code, or questions.
Yeah I listened to the podcast recommended a few replies back, great episode if you haven’t listened already - it’s hilarious how easily they can social engineer their way into accounts once they know the process:
It’s funny in a sad way that 2FA was supposed to be real secure but like all other security, the human element is the biggest weak point, and the custodians of it (telcos) are asleep behind the wheel.
2FA works. It is supposed to be something you know (password) and something you control (like a secure hardware key or app). The problem is people don’t control their phone numbers, the telcos do.
It’s worth noting that 2FA is still a security improvement. Using SMS for 2FA doesn’t introduce any vulnerabilities compared to no 2FA. It’s just not nearly as good as doing 2FA using a TOTP app or dongle. Or using hardware security tokens like FIDO2.
Unless the “2FA” channel is what they use to verify password resets.
Sure, but that’s separate from 2FA and is pretty common even in places that don’t offer any 2FA.
That’s frightening.
Mr Lowe said there were some precautionary measures people could take, like taking their birthday off Facebook and limiting sharing of their personal mobile phone number.
“Don’t put your physical address on things when you’re buying things online, get a PO box,” Mr Lowe recommended.
"When you’re going to a website and entering your information, stop and think, ‘What happens when this information gets leaked?’
One more thing you can do is, when given the option by a site or service, choose one-time passwords (OTP) for two-factor authentication instead of SMS.
yikes
“Homosapiens have outgrown their use”
