SMS 13033: Security vulnerability identified - What to watch out for: The TwelveSec team, as part of its cybersecurity and ongoing research in the field, identified a security vulnerability in 13033. This specific issue can be used by criminals to defraud the public.
During the current pandemic, the GSM network is being used worldwide to send SMS alerts to the public. In Greece, the GSM network is being used to send a message to 13033. Due to a vulnerability that continues to plague online SMS platforms for the last twenty (20) years, Greek citizens should be aware of potential Smishing (SMS Phishing) attempts.
TwelveSec , within the framework of the principle of "Responsible Disclosure", immediately contacted the competent state authorities, informing them of the security problem in GSM technology - based on which automatic SMS sending from 13033 is possible - and suggesting that the issue be communicated to the general public.
Clearly, the malicious use of this technology, through the vulnerability - which has been known for the last 20 years - will have dangerous consequences for Greek citizens.
Possible criminal actions could lead to the interception of personal data, but also to other equally illegal acts, as it is possible to send SMS messages in which 13033 will appear as the sender and which may, for example, invite the recipient to connect to websites designed to intercept data or to follow false "government" instructions.
The security company sends the following message to everyone:
"We ask you to ignore any message sent to you from 13033 and to immediately inform the competent authorities."
*SecNews thanks Researcher Dimitris Mitrou for the research article on identifying the security gap.
