Summary:
Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a sophisticated phishing kit called Sneaky 2FA, specifically engineered to compromise Microsoft 365 accounts by stealing credentials and bypassing two-factor authentication (2FA). First identified in December 2024 by the French cybersecurity firm Sekoia, this adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) phishing kit has been linked to nearly 100 domains, reflecting its growing use among cybercriminals. Sneaky 2FA is offered as a phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) product under the name "Sneaky Log," enabling cybercriminals to purchase a subscription for $200 per month. Customers of the service receive an obfuscated version of the phishing kit's source code, which they can deploy independently. The campaigns primarily rely on email lures masquerading as payment receipts, tricking victims into scanning QR codes embedded in fake PDF attachments. Once scanned, the QR codes lead to fraudulent Microsoft authentication pages that auto-populate victims' email addresses to appear more legitimate. These pages use blurred screenshots of genuine Microsoft interfaces, further increasing their likelihood of deceiving users.

The phishing kit includes a suite of advanced features designed to evade detection and analysis. It employs anti-bot measures, traffic filtering, and Cloudflare Turnstile challenges to restrict access to only genuine users while redirecting traffic from bots, VPNs, or data centers to unrelated pages such as Microsoft-related Wikipedia articles. This technique has led researchers to nickname the phishing kit "WikiKit." The phishing pages are hosted on compromised infrastructure, primarily involving hijacked WordPress websites and attacker-controlled domains. Furthermore, Sneaky 2FA relies on active license verification via a central server, ensuring only authorized users with valid subscriptions can access the tool. Researchers have noted similarities between Sneaky 2FA and the W3LL Panel phishing kit, exposed by Group-IB in 2023, suggesting that Sneaky 2FA may have evolved from or been influenced by the W3LL Panel. Both kits use a similar licensing model and AitM relay implementation, demonstrating the increasing commoditization of phishing tools.

Security Officer Comments:
Interestingly, some domains associated with Sneaky 2FA were previously linked to other known phishing kits, including Evilginx2 and Greatness, suggesting a migration by cybercriminals toward the newer and potentially more effective service. The kit also stands out for its use of hardcoded User-Agent transitions during authentication flows, a rare and highly unusual behavior that does not align with legitimate processes. These transitions offer cybersecurity teams a reliable detection mechanism for identifying and mitigating phishing attempts involving Sneaky 2FA. The kit's ability to mimic legitimate Microsoft workflows, combined with its robust anti-analysis capabilities, underscores the growing sophistication of phishing campaigns and the increasing accessibility of advanced tools through PhaaS marketplaces.

Suggested Corrections:
Users should always be cautious of individuals or organizations that ask for personal information. Most companies will not ask for sensitive data from their customers. If in doubt, users should verify with the company itself to avoid any potential issues.

Users should always take a close look at the sender’s display name when checking the legitimacy of an email. Most companies use a single domain for their URLs and emails, so a message that originates from a different domain is a red flag.

As a general rule, users should not click links or download files even if they come from seemingly “trustworthy” sources.

Check for mismatched URLs. While an embedded URL might seem perfectly valid, hovering above it might show a different web address. In fact, users should avoid clicking links in emails unless they are certain that it is a legitimate link.

Users should always be on the lookout for any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Legitimate companies will often employ proofreaders and editors who ensure that the materials they send out are error-free.

Users should not be frightened or intimidated by messages that have an alarmist tone. They should double check with the company if they are uncertain about the status of their accounts.

Phishing emails are designed to be sent to a large number of people, so they need to be as impersonal as possible. Users should check whether the message contains a generic subject and greeting, as this can be a sign of a phishing attempt.

Although not every end user has access to advanced anti-phishing software, they can still use the built-in protection of their email clients to filter messages. One example is setting the email client to block all images unless approved.

Legitimate companies will never send confirmation emails unless there are specific reasons for doing so. In fact, most companies will avoid sending unsolicited messages unless it’s for company updates, newsletters, or advertising purposes.

Users should always take the context of an email or message into account. For example, most online accounts do away with viewable member numbers, so users should be wary if they receive emails containing a “member number” for services that generally don’t use them.

It is important to take note of unusual information in the text of the message. Any mentions of operating systems and software that are not typically used by consumers can often be indicators of a phishing attempt.

If it seems suspicious, it probably is. Users should always err on the side of caution when it comes to sending out personally identifiable information through messages and emails.

Link(s):
https://thehackernews.com/2025/01/new-sneaky-2fa-phishing-kit-targets.html