Cyble Research and Intelligence Labs (CRIL) has released new findings highlighting a rapidly expanding global threat: SMS and OTP bombing campaigns exploiting poorly secured or exposed authentication APIs.
⚡ Quick Reads
- SMS & OTP bombing campaigns are expanding globally.
- Over 800+ vulnerable authentication endpoints identified.
- Multiple industries affected, including telecom, finance, e-commerce, and government.
- Advanced evasion techniques make detection increasingly difficult.
- Poor API security remains a primary enabler of these attacks.
The report comes at a time when threat actors are increasingly enhancing their capabilities with automation frameworks, regional targeting strategies, and AI-assisted tooling. These campaigns are no longer limited to nuisance attacks — they are now capable of undermining multi-factor authentication (MFA) systems and causing large-scale service disruptions.
According to Daksh Nakra, Senior Manager of Research and Intelligence at Cyble, attackers are actively weaponizing API endpoints to launch automated harassment and authentication abuse campaigns at unprecedented scale. Even minor API misconfigurations can now be exploited with minimal technical expertise, resulting in systemic authentication failures and significant operational costs.
Related Article – What is Auto Buy OTP?
Key Findings
Rapid Evolution of SMS & OTP Bombing Tools
Research indicates sustained development of bombing tools through late 2025 and early 2026. The ecosystem now includes everything from simple scripts to Electron-based GUI applications, making execution accessible even to low-skill actors.
Attack vectors are expanding beyond SMS to include OTP flooding, voice call bombing, and email-based campaigns, increasing overall disruption and complexity.
Broad Sector and Geographic Exposure
CRIL catalogued approximately 843 vulnerable endpoints across sectors including:
- Telecommunications
- Financial services
- E-commerce platforms
- Ride-hailing services
- Government APIs
Regions showing notable exposure include Iran, India, Turkey, Ukraine, and parts of Eastern Europe, underscoring the global spread of the threat.
Attack tools increasingly incorporate SSL bypass techniques, proxy rotation, and other evasion mechanisms to circumvent traditional defenses.
Operational and User Impact
These campaigns can overwhelm targeted devices with excessive authentication messages, leading to:
- MFA fatigue
- Service disruption
- Missed legitimate security alerts
- Increased API operational costs
- Elevated customer support burdens
Detection remains challenging due to obfuscation methods and multi-stage deployment techniques.
Technical & Threat Landscape Assessment
CRIL’s analysis shows that SMS and OTP bombing has evolved from basic automation scripts into resilient, scalable attack platforms. The research highlights trends in automation, evasion, and regional targeting that continue to test the defensive capabilities of authentication providers and security teams worldwide.
The complete analysis is available on Cyble’s official website.
About Cyble
Cyble is a global AI-driven threat intelligence company that supports organizations in combating cyber threats through advanced research, real-time monitoring, and actionable intelligence. Its Cyble Research and Intelligence Labs (CRIL) continuously analyzes emerging threat ecosystems to strengthen enterprise security posture worldwide.
Disclaimer
This article is based on publicly released research and statements from Cyble Research and Intelligence Labs (CRIL). Storify News does not independently verify technical claims and encourages organizations to consult cybersecurity professionals for detailed risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
