Cyberhaven: A Wake-Up Call for Consent Phishing Risks

The Cyberhaven breach is more than just an isolated incident—it’s a wake-up call for organizations everywhere. Attackers targeted extension developers with a consent phishing campaign, compromising over 2 million endpoints through 36 browser extensions. These malicious extensions exposed sensitive user data to attackers.

Even though the developer used multi-factor authentication (MFA) on their Google Workspace account, attackers bypassed it by stealing OAuth permissions via a phishing attack. With access secured, they distributed malicious updates to trusted extensions, demonstrating the growing prevalence of consent phishing—a tactic where attackers exploit user trust and OAuth permissions to bypass traditional defenses.

What is Consent Phishing?

Consent phishing is a modern twist on traditional phishing. Instead of stealing passwords, attackers trick users into granting permissions to malicious OAuth applications.

OAuth 2.0, designed to streamline app connectivity to accounts, becomes its own vulnerability as attackers exploit its convenience to infiltrate systems unnoticed.

Here’s how it works:

1. The Setup: The attacker creates a malicious OAuth application, designed to mimic legitimate services and request permissions from unsuspecting users.

2. The Bait: Attackers use phishing emails, ads, or misleading links to trick users into approving the app’s requested permissions.

3. The Result: Once permissions are granted, attackers gain access to sensitive data or can act on the user’s behalf—all without needing credentials.

OAuth 2.0, the framework that allows apps to connect seamlessly to accounts, is at the heart of this issue. Its convenience is precisely what attackers exploit to go unnoticed.  

Why Consent Phishing is on the Rise

The Cyberhaven breach highlights a growing trend, driven by:

SaaS Sprawl and User Behavior: Employees frequently grant OAuth permissions to apps without understanding the risks. With so many apps in use, malicious ones can easily blend in.

Sophisticated Tactics: Attackers leverage AI and advanced tools to create polished phishing emails and apps that mimic trusted platforms, deceiving even tech-savvy users such as extension developers.

High-Value Rewards: OAuth-based access can lead to catastrophic consequences, including:

1. Code Repositories: Attackers can infiltrate GitHub or Bitbucket, stealing proprietary code, planting backdoors, or causing supply chain attacks.

2. Cloud Infrastructure: OAuth scopes linked to AWS, Azure, or GCP accounts can grant attackers full access to cloud resources, allowing data theft or operational disruption.

3. Email and Communication Tools: Attackers can impersonate users via email, Slack, or Teams, causing fraud, data leaks, or reputational damage.

4. Financial Systems: Access to apps like Stripe or Salesforce allows attackers to manipulate billing systems or steal financial records.

5. HR and Identity Systems: Breaches in systems like Workday or Okta can enable attackers to create backdoor accounts or steal sensitive employee data.

How Grip Security Combats Consent Phishing

Grip Security’s SaaS Security Control Plane (SSCP) enables organizations to identify, prioritize, and mitigate SaaS identity risks, including shadow SaaS, risky OAuth scopes, shadow AI, rogue cloud accounts, and risky configurations (SSPM). Grip provides a comprehensive solution to combat consent phishing by providing:

1. Full SaaS Visibility: Discover and map all connected SaaS applications and the IdP OAuth scopes granted to them. Visibility is the foundation of defense.

2. Detection of High-Risk OAuth Scopes and Unsanctioned Applications: Identify high risk OAuth scopes and flag when they’re granted to unsanctioned or shadow IT applications, preventing potential threats from escalating.

3. OAuth Scope Management: Easily revoke unnecessary or risky IdP OAuth permissions directly from the Grip portal, maintaining control over user and app access while reducing attack surfaces.

4. Alerts and Policies: Customize policies to address risky OAuth requests from unsanctioned applications, using automated workflows to mitigate threats swiftly and effectively.

5. SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM): Strengthen your SaaS security posture by identifying risky configurations across business-critical SaaS platforms with Grip, ensuring security best practices are followed.

Grip Security simplifies OAuth management, protecting your organization against consent phishing and ensuring comprehensive SaaS security. See how it works in this self-guided tour:

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Closing Consent Phishing Gaps

The Cyberhaven breach is a wake-up call for every organization. With SaaS sprawl increasing and employees routinely granting OAuth permissions without oversight, consent phishing is a threat no one can afford to ignore. Attackers no longer need passwords—they need permissions, and they’re getting them.

‍Schedule a demo with Grip Security to take control of your SaaS environment, monitor OAuth activity, and mitigate the risks of consent phishing before they cause harm to your organization.