Ethical Hacking News
Cybercriminals have been using a legitimate Google Cloud email feature to send fake emails from trusted Google addresses, bypassing traditional security filters and targeting companies in various industries. To stay safe, organizations must implement robust security measures and educate their employees on phishing tactics.
Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a sophisticated phishing campaign using Google Cloud infrastructure to send fake emails from legitimate Google addresses. The attackers abused the Google Cloud Application Integration service to distribute their malicious emails, bypassing traditional email security filters. The campaign primarily targeted manufacturing, technology, financial, professional services, and retail sectors, using social engineering tactics to steal credentials. Google has since blocked the phishing efforts, but this highlights the ongoing threat of phishing campaigns using legitimate cloud services to distribute malicious emails. To prevent such attacks, organizations should implement robust security measures, including regular email filtering and verification checks.
Cybersecurity researchers have recently uncovered a phishing campaign that has been using the trust associated with Google Cloud infrastructure to send fake emails from legitimate Google addresses. According to Check Point, a cybersecurity company, this attack is believed to be one of the most sophisticated phishing campaigns ever launched. In this article, we will delve into the details of how these cybercriminals are abusing the Google Cloud Application Integration service to distribute their malicious emails.
The campaign in question begins with attackers sending out large numbers of phishing emails that mimic routine enterprise notifications such as voicemail alerts and file access or permission requests. These emails are designed to appear normal and trustworthy, making it more likely that recipients will open them. The emails were sent from legitimate Google addresses such as "noreply-application-integration@google[.]com," which allows them to bypass traditional email security filters.
At the heart of this campaign is the abuse of Google Cloud's Application Integration service, specifically its "Send Email" task. This feature allows users to send custom email notifications from an integration. However, by exploiting a flaw in this feature, attackers were able to configure their emails to be sent to any arbitrary email address, effectively bypassing DMARC and SPF checks.
The campaign has primarily targeted manufacturing, technology, financial, professional services, and retail sectors. The attackers have used social engineering tactics to lure victims into clicking on links or providing sensitive information. These attacks are designed to steal credentials such as login tokens and other sensitive data.
Google has since blocked the phishing efforts that abuse the email notification feature within Google Cloud Application Integration, adding that it's taking more steps to prevent further misuse. However, this highlights the ongoing threat of phishing campaigns using legitimate cloud services to distribute malicious emails.
In recent years, there have been numerous examples of cybercriminals abusing cloud services to carry out phishing attacks. These attacks often rely on exploiting vulnerabilities in third-party applications or services that are used by organizations to send notifications and access sensitive information.
To prevent such attacks, it is essential for organizations to implement robust security measures, including regular email filtering and verification checks. Organizations should also ensure that their employees are aware of the risks associated with phishing emails and educate them on how to identify and report suspicious emails.
Furthermore, cloud providers must take steps to secure their services against abuse by cybercriminals. This includes implementing strict controls on API keys and verifying the identity of users attempting to access sensitive information.
In conclusion, this recent phishing campaign using legitimate Google Cloud email feature highlights the ongoing threat of cybercrime in the digital age. It is crucial for organizations and cloud providers to take proactive measures to prevent such attacks and educate employees on how to identify and report suspicious emails.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Cybercriminals-Lure-Victims-into-Phishing-Campaign-Using-Legitimate-Google-Cloud-Email-Feature-ehn.shtml
https://thehackernews.com/2026/01/cybercriminals-abuse-google-cloud-email.html
https://cybernews.com/security/scammers-abuse-google-noreply-emails/
Published: Fri Jan 2 04:20:57 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
