Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 Blocks Over 915K Smishing Domains – Key Patterns and Trends

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Since last year’s IC3 report (IC3 Report), Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 has identified and blocked 91,500+ smishing domains, with a significant surge in March 2025 peaking at 26,000 domain registrations. The research highlights four common domain-naming patterns used in these attacks. For deeper insights, refer to their full analysis: Smishing Domain Report.

You Should Know: How to Detect and Mitigate Smishing Attacks

Smishing (SMS phishing) leverages deceptive domains to trick users into revealing sensitive data. Below are verified commands, tools, and steps to analyze and defend against such threats:

1. Identify Suspicious Domains with WHOIS & Dig

whois example.com  Check domain registration details 
dig example.com  Query DNS records for anomalies 

2. Analyze Domain Patterns with Regex (Linux/Windows)

 Linux: Use grep to filter suspicious domains from logs 
grep -E '([0-9]{2,}|toll|usps|track)' access.log

Windows: PowerShell equivalent 
Select-String -Path .\traffic.log -Pattern '([0-9]{2,}|toll|usps|track)' 

3. Block Malicious Domains via Hosts File

 Linux/Windows: Add smishing domains to hosts file 
echo "0.0.0.0 malicious-domain.com" | sudo tee -a /etc/hosts  Linux 
Add-Content -Path C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts -Value "0.0.0.0 malicious-domain.com"  Windows 

4. Monitor Traffic with tcpdump (Linux)

sudo tcpdump -i eth0 'port 53' -w dns_queries.pcap  Capture DNS queries 

5. Automate Detection with Python

import re 
log_data = open("access.log").read() 
smishing_patterns = re.findall(r'(usps|toll|track[0-9]{3,})', log_data) 
print("Detected smishing URLs:", smishing_patterns) 

What Undercode Say

Smishing attacks exploit urgency and impersonation. Defenders must:

  • Verify short URLs with tools like URLScan.
  • Deploy DNS filtering (Pi-hole, Cisco Umbrella).
  • Educate users on spotting fake domains (e.g., `usps-track[.]com` vs usps.com).
  • Leverage threat intelligence feeds for real-time blocklists.

Expected Output:

  • A hardened system logging and blocking suspicious domains.
  • Reduced risk of credential theft via smishing.
  • Enhanced visibility into phishing campaigns using CLI tools.

For further reading:

References:

Reported By: Unit42 Smishing – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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