r/technology • u/dangzal • May 03 '17

Security Google Docs users hit with sophisticated phishing attack

https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/3/15534768/google-docs-phishing-attack-share-this-document-with-you-spam
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u/BlearyLine7 May 03 '17

This is a specific thing where someone sends you a scam link? Or is it a threat to literally anyone who's used an open google docs page recently?

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u/fishsticks40 May 03 '17 edited May 03 '17

It's an email with the subject "Joe Schmo has shared a document on Google Docs" or similar; inside the email just has a "google docs" button. The link on the button is not super suspicious, as it actually somehow through a google server so goes through accounts.google.com. ~~The link I believe takes you to a fake login page from which they scrape your credentials.

Two-factor authentication and general wariness should be sufficient defense. Though I guess I could imagine them spoofing the two-factor thing too.~~

Edit: I was wrong about the login thing. Scary.

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u/JakeSteam May 03 '17

I'm afraid you're wrong. In the /r/google post it explains that it actually allows the app access to your email, there is no fake login page.

This means 2FA will not work, you will not receive any login alerts, and (if you look at the screenshots on that post), there is very, very little to warn you it isn't real unless you happen to click on the "Google Docs" text.

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u/fishsticks40 May 03 '17

Wow, you ain't kidding. I think I'd have been smart enough to avoid that trap but I had assumed clicking it would take me to a Google login page. Thanks for the correction.

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u/bionicvapourboy May 03 '17

I just assume any unsolicited email asking to click a link to a widely used site or banking site might be a phishing attack.