I thought T-Mobile significantly cracked down on SIM-swapping internally so this couldn't happen again? I know there's still no patch for human stupidity, but I really am concerned that T-Mobile still apparently seems to be the carrier of choice for easy SIM-swap attacks.
Vitalik Buterin reveals X account hack was caused by SIM-swap attack
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Re: Vitalik Buterin reveals X account hack was caused by SIM-swap attack
#22Ironically SMS 2fa is less safer than just using a password
Heck, I don't even like that email can be used to recover basically every account.
Someone gets your computer unlocked? They have access to email and everything.
Re: Vitalik Buterin reveals X account hack was caused by SIM-swap attack
#23Twitter has had support for proper TOTP based 2FA ever since Jack Dorsey got SIM Swapped in 2019[1]. This was also the time when they added support for hardware tokens like Yubikeys. Of course, one needs to enable it. [1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/technology/sim-swap-jack-...
Just having a phone number added to Twitter means your account is at risk of being taken over with a sim-swap. This was not 2FA related AFAICT. Twitter also requires you to add a phone number, even on old accounts you can get locked out unless you add one.
Re: Vitalik Buterin reveals X account hack was caused by SIM-swap attack
#24Twitter has had support for proper TOTP based 2FA ever since Jack Dorsey got SIM Swapped in 2019[1]. This was also the time when they added support for hardware tokens like Yubikeys. Of course, one needs to enable it. [1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/technology/sim-swap-jack-...
Just having a phone number added to Twitter means your account is at risk of being taken over with a sim-swap. This was not 2FA related AFAICT. Twitter also requires you to add a phone number, even on old accounts you can get locked out unless you add one.
Re: Vitalik Buterin reveals X account hack was caused by SIM-swap attack
#25Twitter has had support for proper TOTP based 2FA ever since Jack Dorsey got SIM Swapped in 2019[1]. This was also the time when they added support for hardware tokens like Yubikeys. Of course, one needs to enable it. [1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/technology/sim-swap-jack-...
I'm a bit paranoid about 2FA ever since my charging port got damaged and I literally couldn't charge my phone to get to authentication. Scary stuff, had to give sooo much personal information over the course of months to recover a single account. Not sure a solution, maybe have a wifi only phone that I only turn on for Auth?
Re: Vitalik Buterin reveals X account hack was caused by SIM-swap attack
#26Twitter has had support for proper TOTP based 2FA ever since Jack Dorsey got SIM Swapped in 2019[1]. This was also the time when they added support for hardware tokens like Yubikeys. Of course, one needs to enable it. [1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/technology/sim-swap-jack-...
I'm a bit paranoid about 2FA ever since my charging port got damaged and I literally couldn't charge my phone to get to authentication. Scary stuff, had to give sooo much personal information over the course of months to recover a single account. Not sure a solution, maybe have a wifi only phone that I only turn on for Auth?
You did write them down like the site told you to, right?
Even if a site doesn't offer backup codes, you can extract the TOTP secret from the QR code, or most authenticator apps, quite easily, and then write it down.
It's more secure to only save the backup codes though since they have a limited number of uses, while the TOTP secret has unlimited uses.
Re: Vitalik Buterin reveals X account hack was caused by SIM-swap attack
#27I thought T-Mobile significantly cracked down on SIM-swapping internally so this couldn't happen again? I know there's still no patch for human stupidity, but I really am concerned that T-Mobile still apparently seems to be the carrier of choice for easy SIM-swap attacks.
SIM swapping is one thing, but the actual service (X in this case) allowing access to the account via access to the phone number, even without SMS 2FA enabled, is the real problem.
For example, I have a foolproof way of preventing sim swap attacks: require 256bits of entropy and never allow a password reset, like in crypto. Lose your password? Account is gone forever.
This is more secure but less user friendly. Except for large accounts, I don’t know that anyone even particularly cares if their Twitter gets hacked. You could pretty easily make the argument that preventing sim swap attacks is an optimization for high profile users at the expense of everyone else.
Re: Vitalik Buterin reveals X account hack was caused by SIM-swap attack
#28Twitter has had support for proper TOTP based 2FA ever since Jack Dorsey got SIM Swapped in 2019[1]. This was also the time when they added support for hardware tokens like Yubikeys. Of course, one needs to enable it. [1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/technology/sim-swap-jack-...
I'm a bit paranoid about 2FA ever since my charging port got damaged and I literally couldn't charge my phone to get to authentication. Scary stuff, had to give sooo much personal information over the course of months to recover a single account. Not sure a solution, maybe have a wifi only phone that I only turn on for Auth?
That way you can easily re add the 2fa token to a replacement device.
Re: Vitalik Buterin reveals X account hack was caused by SIM-swap attack
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm a bit paranoid about 2FA ever since my charging port got damaged and I literally couldn't charge my phone to get to authentication. Scary stuff, had to give sooo much personal information over the course of months to recover a single account. Not sure a solution, maybe have a wifi only phone that I only turn on for Auth?
Every competent TOTP implementation has backup codes. Use one of your backup codes when your phone breaks. You did write them down like the site told you to, right? Even if a site doesn't offer backup codes, you can extract the TOTP secret from the QR code, or most authenticator apps, quite easily, and then write it down. It's more secure to only save the backup codes though since they have a limited number of uses,…
Luckily it is some lame work account that someone else can unlock to get me back in. I couldn't believe that the backup codes provided are now obsolete!
Re: Vitalik Buterin reveals X account hack was caused by SIM-swap attack
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just having a phone number added to Twitter means your account is at risk of being taken over with a sim-swap. This was not 2FA related AFAICT. Twitter also requires you to add a phone number, even on old accounts you can get locked out unless you add one.
I've got an account from 2009 and have never had to enter my phone number (if I ever get asked, that'll be the time when I stop using it).