Clicking 'Allow' on a Google and Microsoft permission screens could give hackers access to your entire account, FBI warns

Date:
Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:45:00 +0000

Description:
OAuth consent phishing is a thing and the FBI is worried.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter FBI warns of rising OAuth consent phishing attacks exploiting legitimate app permissions Victims
tricked into granting malicious apps access, enabling email reading and sending Password changes dont help; users must revoke tokens in app security settings Hackers found a way to access your data, read your messages, and
even send emails to your contacts, without ever needing your password or
other login credentials. All they need from you is a single click on a completely legitimate, well-known platform.

The technique is called OAuth consent phishing. Its been around for more than a year and its gotten popular to a point where even the FBI is taking note. Earlier this week, the law enforcement agency issued a new public service announcement, via its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), warning
Americans about the threat. OAuth (Open Authorization) is an internet
standard that allows users to give apps access to their account on another service, without giving the app their password for that service. For example, when users install a new app, they have the Continue with Google option.
When they click it, they are asked if they allow the app to access their email. If they approve, Google gives that app a special access token, which allows the app to access the users Google account without ever seeing the password. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Pulling off an OAuth attack So, to pull off an OAuth attack, the threat actor must first trick Google (or Microsoft , or any other company providing the service) and get their (malicious) app registered on the platform. Then they would reach out to their target via instant messaging, while impersonating government officials, media, and other publicly known personalities, and sharing a link to what appears to be a document.

The link redirects the victim to a legitimate service (for example, Google), where they are asked to grant permissions to the malicious app. If they approve, the attackers gain access to their email accounts with which they
can do almost anything. You may like Microsoft login pages are being abused
as hackers try and lure in unlucky victims FBI warns of Russian Intelligence phishing campaign abusing Signal support services HP warns hackers are
turning popular remote access tools into dangerous, stealthy backdoors

To make matters worse, simply changing the password does not fix the issue. The only way to eliminate the threat is to revoke the access token that was given, which can be done in the application security settings.

The FBI did not say who the threat actors were or who they were targeting, other than they were prominent victims. Their family members were being targeted, as well. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners
or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &
Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Via The Record The best antivirus for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best antivirus 1. Best overall: Bitdefender Total Security 2. Best for families: Norton 360 with LifeLock 3. Best for mobile: McAfee Mobile Security Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/clicking-allow-on-a-google-and-microsof t-permission-screens-could-give-hackers-access-to-your-entire-account-fbi-warn s


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)