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Microsoft reported that the Russian state-linked group Star Blizzard used a two-step phishing campaign in November 2024 to trick selected targets into linking their WhatsApp accounts to an attacker-controlled device. The tactic abused WhatsApp’s legitimate device-linking flow; Microsoft did not describe it as a software vulnerability. The activity appeared to wind down by the end of November, and the report is not evidence that the same tactic remains active today.
How the WhatsApp phishing campaign worked
Microsoft Threat Intelligence published its account of the campaign on January 16, 2025. It said the activity was observed in mid-November 2024 and appeared to terminate at the end of that month. The reported sequence had two stages:
- A misleading invitation: Star Blizzard initiated contact by email while impersonating a U.S. government official. The message offered a supposed WhatsApp group focused on support for Ukraine-related NGOs and included a QR code that was intentionally broken. Microsoft assessed that the unusable code was meant to prompt the recipient to reply.
- A device-linking request: After a recipient responded, the actor sent a second email containing a shortened link. It led to a page asking the recipient to scan a QR code that used WhatsApp’s legitimate device-linking flow.
Scanning the code could link the recipient’s WhatsApp account to a device or WhatsApp Web session controlled by the attacker. Microsoft said that access could expose messages, which the actor could then exfiltrate using browser plugins designed to export WhatsApp messages. The QR code’s purpose was to link an account—not to install a conventional phone app.
Why this was social engineering, not a WhatsApp flaw
The reported attack depended on deceiving a person into scanning a code and approving a legitimate account-linking process. Microsoft did not report a flaw in WhatsApp’s software. The distinction matters: the practical risk was that a target could grant another device access to the account, rather than that scanning the code would automatically install malware on a phone.
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Who Microsoft said was at risk
Microsoft’s reporting says Star Blizzard commonly targets people whose work intersects with government, diplomacy, Russia-related policy, or support for Ukraine. That includes current and former government or diplomatic personnel, defense-policy and international-relations researchers, and people assisting Ukraine. Earlier Microsoft reporting also described targeting of journalists, think tanks, NGOs, and other civil-society groups.
This was a targeted campaign, not evidence that every WhatsApp user was being singled out. People in those professional circles have more reason to scrutinize unexpected invitations or requests to scan a QR code, especially when they arrive after an unsolicited email.
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How to recognize and respond to a suspicious invitation
- Be wary of a reply-then-link sequence. An invitation with a broken QR code followed by a separate link or scan request is a notable warning sign in the campaign Microsoft described.
- Verify the sender independently. Contact the person through an email address, phone number, or other channel you already know. Do not rely on contact details supplied in the suspicious message. Microsoft advised: “When in doubt, contact the person you think is sending the email using a known and previously used email address to verify that the email was indeed sent by them.”
- Do not scan a code just because a page requests it. Pause before approving a device-linking request, and confirm why another device should be connected to your account.
- If you scanned the code, review linked devices. In WhatsApp, inspect the linked-devices list and sign out any session you do not recognize. If you cannot confirm that a device is yours, remove it and alert your organization’s IT or security team if the account is used for work.
What organizations can do
Microsoft’s January 2025 guidance recommends caution with external email links and verifying unexpected messages through an address already known to the recipient. For organizations, its product-specific recommendations include mobile anti-phishing protection against QR-code phishing, network protection, tamper protection, endpoint detection and response in block mode, automated investigation and remediation, cloud-delivered protection, real-time antivirus protection, SmartScreen-capable browsers, and Safe Links and Safe Attachments for Microsoft 365.
Microsoft’s earlier Star Blizzard guidance also recommends phishing-resistant authentication and Conditional Access policies, alongside email, endpoint, and identity monitoring. These controls cover different stages of an attack and should be assessed against an organization’s existing environment, operational capacity, and licensing. The cited Microsoft articles do not provide a comparative product test or establish that any single product makes an account safe.
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How the WhatsApp incident fits Star Blizzard’s later activity
Microsoft described the November 2024 WhatsApp approach as a departure from Star Blizzard’s longstanding tradecraft and assessed that the change was likely related to public exposure of the group’s tactics. That is Microsoft’s assessment of the reason, not an independently established motive.
Microsoft’s September 29, 2026 reporting describes substantially evolved activity, including large-scale phishing, use of accounts on compromised websites, and a malware-delivery technique it calls RedFlick. Microsoft said the later campaigns primarily targeted Ukrainian individuals and institutions, NGOs, think tanks, governments, and financial organizations associated with support for Ukraine. It reported at least 13 distinct large-scale phishing campaigns since January 2026 and said RedFlick campaigns affected more than 100 organizations, primarily in the United States and United Kingdom. Those figures concern later 2026 activity, not the WhatsApp campaign.
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Microsoft’s January 2025 report also said Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice had seized or taken down more than 180 websites tied to earlier Star Blizzard activity since October 3, 2024. That figure is not a count of WhatsApp victims. Microsoft did not publish an independent victim count for the WhatsApp campaign.
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- True 25° Privacy Protection: Most privacy protector on the market only gives 30° viewing, IMBZBK's Privacy Coatings made of new materials from Germany with Microlourver Optical Technology, It offers optimum 25° degree peep (Smaller viewing angles mean stronger privacy protection). The screen is only visible to persons directly in front of the screen, maximum protection For your privacy & sensitive information, even your friends or colleagues sitting next to you also can't see on your messages.
- Military-Grade Shatterproof Protection: IMBZBK’s screen protector sets a new industry standard with Aerospace-Grade Glass and Nano-Ceramic Fusion technology, providing 10X stronger protection than standard 9H glass. Certified by international Military Standards and SGS, it offers 10X stronger protection against scratches, bumps, and drops. Rigorously tested with 220 lbs impacts, 10-foot drops, and 10,000+ scratches, it ensures your phone remains unscathed in any environment.
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- Camera Protector & Face ID Compatible: IMBZBK's camera protector made of 9H glass effectively protect entire lens from drops, scratches, other accidents. Nano electrostatic Automatic Adsorption Technology, easy installation and not easy to fall off. Special designed black circle compatible Night Shooting Function, brings you the original of beauty to every photo and video. Due to the precise opening for the front camera, the screen protector does not interfere with the Face ID feature.
Sources
- Microsoft Threat Intelligence: Star Blizzard campaign abuses WhatsApp to target victim devices (January 16, 2025).
- Microsoft Threat Intelligence: Star Blizzard increases focus on the Microsoft 365 cloud (December 7, 2023; subsequently updated).
- Microsoft Threat Intelligence: Star Blizzard expands operations with large-scale phishing and RedFlick malware (September 29, 2026).
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