What is USSD?

Here's where things get interesting from a security perspective. USSD's simplicity and widespread adoption make it an attractive target for cybercriminals:

SIM swapping and social engineering

Attackers can exploit USSD codes to:

• Transfer phone numbers to attacker-controlled SIMs

• Access mobile banking services

• Bypass two-factor authentication

• Gather account information

Network-level attacks

Since USSD operates at the network level, malicious actors might:

• Intercept USSD communications

• Launch man-in-the-middle attacks

• Exploit weak authentication mechanisms

• Access sensitive user data

Recommendations for organizations

• Monitor USSD traffic for unusual patterns or unauthorized access attempts

• Implement strong authentication for any USSD-based services

• Educate users about USSD-based social engineering attacks

• Regularly audit USSD code configurations and access controls

• Deploy network monitoring tools to detect suspicious USSD activity