Published on: 2025-06-11

Intelligence Report: A flaw could allow recovery of the phone number associated with any Google account – Securityaffairs.com

1. BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)

A vulnerability in Google’s account recovery process allows potential attackers to recover phone numbers linked to Google accounts through brute force methods. This flaw, if exploited, could lead to unauthorized access to personal information and increased risk of targeted phishing attacks. Immediate mitigation strategies include enhancing anti-abuse protections and revising the account recovery process to prevent exploitation.

2. Detailed Analysis

The following structured analytic techniques have been applied to ensure methodological consistency:

Adversarial Threat Simulation

Simulations indicate that attackers can bypass Google’s current security measures by disabling JavaScript and using proxy IP address rotation to avoid detection. The lack of effective rate limiting and CAPTCHA challenges in the non-JS recovery form significantly increases vulnerability.

Indicators Development

Key indicators include unusual patterns of account recovery attempts, rapid succession of requests from diverse IP addresses, and anomalies in account recovery traffic that deviate from typical user behavior.

Bayesian Scenario Modeling

Probabilistic models suggest a high likelihood of exploitation if countermeasures are not implemented promptly. The potential for widespread abuse is significant, given the ease of executing the attack with minimal resources.

3. Implications and Strategic Risks

The vulnerability poses a substantial risk to user privacy and could lead to broader cybersecurity threats, including identity theft and social engineering attacks. The systemic vulnerability within Google’s recovery process could undermine trust in digital communications and services, affecting both individual users and organizational security frameworks.

4. Recommendations and Outlook

• Implement robust anti-abuse mechanisms, including enhanced CAPTCHA challenges and stricter rate limiting for account recovery processes.
• Conduct a comprehensive security audit of the account recovery system to identify and rectify additional vulnerabilities.
• Consider scenario-based projections:
  • Best Case: Immediate patching of the vulnerability with minimal impact on users.
  • Worst Case: Widespread exploitation leading to significant data breaches and loss of user trust.
  • Most Likely: Gradual mitigation with some instances of exploitation before full resolution.

5. Key Individuals and Entities

The researcher known as Brutecat identified the vulnerability. No other individuals are directly mentioned in the context of this report.

6. Thematic Tags

national security threats, cybersecurity, information security, digital privacy