Smishing: The rise of FluBot. What is it and what can you do to protect yourself?

FluBot first burst onto the malware scene in Summer 2021, flooding our SMS with fake ‘failed parcel’ delivery messages in an unscrupulous bid to install data stealing Trojans onto Android phones.  The fake message contains a link, which when clicked on downloads malware onto your device.  Once installed, the FluBot Trojan can access your credit and debit card details to clear you out and target your contacts list to spread even further.  

Seemingly endlessly adaptable, this latest iteration of FluBot was first identified by Vodafone in April and corroborated by O2 just a couple of weeks later. Downloaded under the guise of messages about missed calls, voicemails and tracking or delivery services, the message contains a link to retrieve a voicemail or further tracking info and the malware is installed, taking over your device. 

Most major networks use a Spam Shield application to block scams and permit legitimate messages, which of course means scammers are forced to get even smarter using MMS and SMS to bypass the various controls in place to stop them. Once they have access to your device, the damage they could inflict is significant. 

What happens if a device is hacked? 

In the first instance, your service provider should identify a customer number that has had malware downloaded and remove the MMS capability of the device. 

Rapid action is then needed to prevent the problem spreading. Once you have received a notification you should: 

  • Check whether the device has been taken over – was the MMS or SMS link clicked? 
  • Remove the malware as quickly as possible – at present the only way to do this is by factory reset which means the loss of all data, photos and contacts on the device. The National Cyber Security Centre website has some useful advice. 
  • Identify the scale of the problem as fast as possible. Monitor your private networks for excessive MMS usage – the problem may not stop at one device, if the message has been shared, the whole network could be vulnerable. 

Can you avoid falling foul of FluBot? 

Hyper vigilance is the only way. There are a few preventative measures may help:

Educate colleagues, family and friends about malware on mobile devices and the particular threat of FluBot on Android. 

If MMS is not needed, the functionality can be removed from devices to offer some protection against infiltration. 

Set up alerts and enhance your monitoring of SMS and MMS activity. 

Please contact us if you require further information to help to secure your network, to have a general comms review or to provide any mobile phone or network connection. 

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