🔒 Gmail MFA Bypassed in Sophisticated Social Engineering Attack

Gmail security bypass illustrationRussian hackers have discovered a clever way to bypass Gmail’s multi-factor authentication (MFA) — not by breaking it, but by tricking users into giving access themselves.According to Malwarebytes Labs, attackers pretended to be U.S. State Department officials to convince targets to generate 16-digit app passwords. Once shared, these passwords gave full access to Gmail accounts.

📝 Why This Matters (In Simple Terms)

  • MFA is still important, but some methods like app passwords are more vulnerable.
  • Tricking users works—this attack succeeded with simple but persuasive social engineering.
  • High-profile targets were chosen, including academics and critics of the Russian government.

✅ Stay Secure: Expert Tips

  1. Avoid app passwords unless absolutely necessary. Use apps that support full MFA.
  2. Use stronger MFA factors like authentication apps or hardware tokens (e.g., FIDO2).
  3. Verify unusual requests through known, trusted channels before acting.

🔍 Want to dive deeper into how the attack worked and how to protect your organization?

👉 Read the full article on Malwarebytes Labs

Stay vigilant and stay safe! 💡with Malwarebytes Antivirus/Malware protection. Click here now to buy 

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