A SCAM message is being used as a tricky tactic to try and take over hotel computers and security systems.
A hacker pretended to be a hotel customer after booking a room and asked an employee to reach out to them on WhatsApp about an allergy concern.
The scam was brought to attention in a blog by a cyber security expert at Votiro.
The employee explained that when they reached out to the customer, they were meant with a message that seemed “innocent” that even had a “waving woman emoji in it.”
But the message was directing the employee to click a dangerous link that could have breached the entire hotel.
“In this instance, the hacker booked a room at an international hotel and submitted a request for the hotel to get in touch with them immediately via WhatsApp about an urgent issue,” the researchers write.
“Once the hotel employee engaged the customer over WhatsApp, the hacker responded with their request. The WhatsApp message looked innocent enough (it even had a ‘waving woman’ emoji in it).”
The message was designed to catch the employee off guard so they click the link without thinking about it.
The scam message said: “Hello! I will come to visit you soon and would like to ask for your help,” per the blog.
“I have run into an allergy problem so I would be very grateful if you could review my list of allergies.
“The file won’t open on the phone because it’s in the zip folder. I’m on a train and I just can’t open the file any other way.
“Thank you for your concern and willingness to help me.
“I really appreciate your time and efforts that you put in to make my stay at your place as comfortable as possible. Folder password: 1111.”
The link contained malicious files that when opened on a computer, it could possibly wipe everything out and give the hacker access to everything.
“The malicious actors knew that the weaponized files would not open on an iPhone, and therefore lured their victims to open the weaponized file via WhatsApp Web, which is installed on many office workstations,” the researchers said.
In this situation, the researchers explained the employee did follow through with the hacker’s requests and put the hotel at major risk.
“Unfortunately, the employee unknowingly clicked on the weaponized file, input the password, and opened it, potentially exposing the entire hotel network to the hacker’s nefarious plans,” they said.
“Files of this nature can infect the hotel’s computer systems and hold the data for ransom, shut down the security systems to enable a break-in or lock the reservation system to cause revenue-based damage.
“As such, the risk was enormous.”
