What sort of email scam is "App Passwords Need To Be Updated"

What kind of email is "App Passwords Need To Be Updated"?

We have examined this email and determined it is a phishing scam impersonating a Microsoft account security notification. The message falsely claims the recipient recently changed their password and must create new app passwords for two-step verification. It is designed to steal account credentials and should be ignored.

"App Passwords Need To Be Updated" email scam overview

The email poses as an official Microsoft account notification. It claims the recipient recently changed their password and, since two-step verification is active on their account, they must create new app passwords for any apps or devices that do not support this feature. The message warns that existing app passwords will stop working.

A button in the email labeled "Get a new app password" leads to a phishing page hosted on Google Cloud Storage - a legitimate file-hosting platform that scammers abuse to make the link appear credible.

The page displays a fake "Session has expired, login again to continue" popup with a pre-filled email address and a password entry field. Any password entered on this page is sent directly to the scammers, not to Microsoft.

With a stolen Microsoft account password, cybercriminals can take over the account and access linked emails, contacts, calendar entries, and files stored through Microsoft services. The compromised account may also be used to target the victim's contacts.

It is important to note that Microsoft is not associated with this scam in any way. Legitimate Microsoft security emails are sent from official Microsoft domains, not from random third-party addresses like the one used in this campaign.

Similar scam emails in general

In conclusion, this email is a phishing scam that impersonates a Microsoft account security notification. It aims to steal account credentials through a fraudulent login page hosted on abused cloud infrastructure. Recipients should ignore the email and avoid entering any information on the linked page. Sometimes, scams like this are also used to deliver malware.

More examples of similar scam emails are Telstra ID Sign-In, Product Review Request, and Confirm Active Account Status.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam emails can deliver malware through malicious attachments or embedded download links. Files used for this purpose come in various formats - executables, Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, archives such as ZIP or RAR, JavaScript files, and others. Opening them, or enabling malicious macro commands within documents, can trigger the installation of malware.

Links in such emails may also lead to websites designed to distribute malware. These sites can initiate automatic downloads or deceive visitors into running harmful programs themselves. In most cases, some degree of user interaction is needed for an infection to take place.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be cautious with emails from unfamiliar or unexpected senders, particularly those urging immediate action. Do not click links or open attachments in suspicious messages. Always verify the sender's address before interacting with any email that asks for account credentials or personal details.

Download software only from official websites and app stores. Avoid pirated software, key generators, and cracks, as these are common carriers of malware. Keep your operating system and all installed programs up to date, and use a trusted antivirus solution to help monitor for threats.

If you have already opened a malicious attachment, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate any infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "App Passwords Need To Be Updated" email letter:

Subject: Microsoft account 2FA needs updating

Microsoft account
App passwords need to be updated

You changed your password recently. Since you turned on two-step verification for the Microsoft account ********, you need to create new app passwords for any apps or devices that don't support two-step verification. Any existing app passwords will no longer work.

[Get a new app password]

To opt out or change where you receive security notifications, [click here].

Thanks,
The Microsoft account team

[Privacy Statement]

Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052

A fake login page used in this scam:

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Quick menu:

• What is App Passwords Need To Be Updated phishing scam?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using  Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

Cybercriminals send these messages to large numbers of people at once. Email addresses are typically gathered through data breaches, fake websites, or other online sources. These campaigns are rarely targeted at any specific individual.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?

Change your Microsoft account password immediately, and update passwords on any other accounts where you use the same credentials. If you suspect unauthorized access to your account, contact Microsoft support as soon as possible.

I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?

Executable files can compromise a system as soon as they are opened. Document formats such as PDFs or Word files generally require additional steps, like enabling macros, before causing harm. The actual risk depends on the file type and how the user interacted with it.

I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Simply reading or viewing an email does not cause an infection. A computer can only be compromised if the user clicks a malicious link or opens a harmful file. If no such interaction occurred, the computer is not at risk.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?

Combo Cleaner can detect and remove a wide range of known malware. Running a full system scan is recommended to make sure all threats are found and eliminated. Some highly sophisticated malware may be harder to detect, which is why a thorough scan is important.