Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

WhatsApp attack: 'Tens of thousands' fall victim to Russian voice message ambush

WhatsApp attack: 'Tens of thousands' fall victim to Russian voice message ambush

A phishing attack designed to look like a WhatsApp voice message has already compromised tens of thousands of email accounts.

The tried-and-tested attack method appears to be a harmless email containing a link to a WhatsApp voice message.

But anyone clicking on the link is taken to a malicious website that attempts to install a virus on the victim’s device.

Cyber security researchers at California-based Armorblox report that nearly 28,000 mailboxes – across both Gmail and Microsoft’s Outlook program have been impacted by the ambush.

More worryingly, the company says the email attack comes from a valid Russian-based domain.

The experts say the ‘mailman.cbddmo.ru,’ domain is associated with an organisation known as the ‘Center for Traffic Safety of the Moscow Region’ – which is a part of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The phishing email contains the subject line ‘New Incoming Voicemessage’ and is supposedly from a WhatsApp Notifier function.

The fake WhatsApp email containing a dangerous link


The security researchers say that, although it looks authentic, it’s actually a trick.

‘Upon clicking the “Play” link in the email, recipients were redirected to a page that attempts to install a trojan horse JS/Kryptik,’ explained Lauryn Cash from Armorblox.

‘This is a malicious obfuscated JavaScript code embedded in HTML pages that redirects the browser to a malicious URL and implements a specific exploit.’

‘The Armorblox research team was able to observe this attack on multiple customer tenants across Office 365 and Google Workspace. The potential total attack exposure was close to 28K mailboxes.’

Targeting WhatsApp users and zeroing in on voice messages make sense given the staggering amount of users the service has.


What is phishing, and why is it called phishing?
A Royal Mail scam has been making the rounds.

Phishing is the term applied to kind of electronic communications scam that aims to obtain private information, or to spread harmful malware, via the recipient.

The phenomenon takes its name from fishing due to the parallels in unaware targets being reeled in by bait.

The term was coined around 1996, according to Computer World, as internet scammers began using e-mail lures, setting out hooks to fish for passwords and financial data from the sea of Internet users.

Hackers commonly replace the letter f with ph, a nod to the original form of hacking known as phone phreaking.


Every day on WhatsApp, over 7 billion voice notes are sent back and forth as voice messages provide a quick alternative to a phone call.


Voice messages are especially preferred by older family members who want to avoid typing or even communicating in another language.

Obviously, if you see this email (or one that looks like it) land in your inbox, don’t click the link.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×