A recent spate of phishing attacks has put Apple users on high alert, revealing a concerning vulnerability in the tech giant’s password reset feature. These attacks, which have come to be known as ‘MFA bombing’ or ‘MFA fatigue’ attacks, exploit Apple’s multi-factor authentication system by bombarding users with relentless system prompts.
These prompts, which ask users to approve or deny password changes, render devices nearly unusable and aim to fatigue users into inadvertently granting access to their accounts. Entrepreneurs and investors have become prime targets, sharing their experiences of being overwhelmed by notifications and receiving deceitful calls from individuals posing as Apple support.
Why it matters: The increasing sophistication and success of these phishing attacks pose significant risks to user privacy and security, undermining trust in MFA systems designed to protect digital accounts. These incidents not only compromise personal and financial information but also raise questions about the strength of current cybersecurity measures implemented by tech giants like Apple.
- Exploiting System Vulnerabilities: The attacks reveal potential flaws in Apple’s security framework, particularly in the handling of password reset requests and the absence of effective rate limits, allowing attackers to flood users with notifications.
- Social Engineering and Data Misuse: By leveraging personal data, likely sourced from data broker websites, attackers personalize their approach, making their impersonation of Apple support more convincing and difficult for users to dismiss.
- Defensive Strategies for Users: Recommendations for mitigating risk include changing the phone number associated with Apple accounts to a less widely known VOIP number and using email aliases to complicate attackers’ attempts to target specific accounts.
Go Deeper -> Recent ‘MFA Bombing’ Attacks Targeting Apple Users – Krebs on Security
