The Google security team has penned an article on the Google Security Blog advising mobile phone users to disable their 2G network to prevent False Base Stations (FBS) or Stingrays from spreading SMS messages in that area to deceive users into clicking links (SMS phishing), a tactic commonly known as SMS Blaster.
Legacy 2G networks were not designed to address the issue of fake base stations, leaving the protocol unable to distinguish between genuine and fake stations. The solution lies in users disabling the 2G mode on their devices, a feature available since Android 12.
In the case of Thailand, the 2G network has been shut down since 2019, with minimal impact on the network. However, many mobile phones still support multiple modes of connection such as 5G/LTE/3G/2G, potentially leaving room for fake base stations to target users with SMS attacks. Users can mitigate this risk by switching to only 5G/LTE/3G modes in the Settings > Mobile networks section.
Source: Google Security Blog
TLDR: Google advises mobile users to disable 2G networks to protect against SMS phishing from False Base Stations, a threat that legacy 2G networks are ill-equipped to handle. Users in Thailand, where 2G networks have been phased out, should configure their devices to use only 5G/LTE/3G modes to mitigate the risk of attacks.
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