detecting-qr-code-phishing-with-email-security
Detect and prevent QR code phishing (quishing) attacks that bypass traditional email security by embedding malicious URLs in QR code images within emails.
Best use case
detecting-qr-code-phishing-with-email-security is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Detect and prevent QR code phishing (quishing) attacks that bypass traditional email security by embedding malicious URLs in QR code images within emails.
Teams using detecting-qr-code-phishing-with-email-security should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/detecting-qr-code-phishing-with-email-security/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How detecting-qr-code-phishing-with-email-security Compares
| Feature / Agent | detecting-qr-code-phishing-with-email-security | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Detect and prevent QR code phishing (quishing) attacks that bypass traditional email security by embedding malicious URLs in QR code images within emails.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
Related Guides
AI Agents for Coding
Browse AI agent skills for coding, debugging, testing, refactoring, code review, and developer workflows across Claude, Cursor, and Codex.
AI Agent for Cold Email Generation
Discover AI agent skills for cold email generation, outreach copy, lead personalization, CRM support, and sales-adjacent messaging workflows.
AI Agents for Marketing
Discover AI agents for marketing workflows, from SEO and content production to campaign research, outreach, and analytics.
SKILL.md Source
# Detecting QR Code Phishing with Email Security ## Overview QR code phishing (quishing) is a rapidly growing attack vector where malicious URLs are embedded in QR code images within phishing emails. Quishing incidents grew fivefold from 46,000 to 250,000 between August and November 2025, with credential phishing comprising 89.3% of detected incidents. Traditional email security filters struggle because QR codes cannot be read by humans or standard URL scanners, and when scanned, users typically use personal mobile devices that lack corporate security controls. Attackers have evolved to use split QR codes (two separate images), nested QR codes, and ASCII text-based QR codes to evade detection. ## When to Use - When investigating security incidents that require detecting qr code phishing with email security - When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain - When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type - When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques ## Prerequisites - Email security gateway with image analysis capabilities - Understanding of QR code structure and encoding - Mobile device management (MDM) or mobile threat defense solution - Security awareness training program - SIEM platform for correlation and alerting ## Key Concepts ### Why Quishing Works 1. **Bypasses URL Scanners**: Traditional gateways scan text-based URLs but cannot decode image-embedded URLs 2. **Shifts to Unprotected Devices**: Corporate email arrives on secured systems but QR scan occurs on personal mobile devices 3. **User Trust**: QR codes are normalized in daily life (payments, menus, parking) 4. **Low Detection Rate**: Only 36% of quishing incidents are accurately identified by recipients ### Evasion Techniques (2025) - **Split QR Codes**: QR code divided into two separate images that look benign individually (Gabagool PhaaS kit) - **Nested QR Codes**: QR code within a QR code, with first scan leading to intermediate page - **ASCII QR Codes**: QR rendered as text characters instead of images, bypassing image analysis (12% of attacks in Jan 2026) - **Styled/Artistic QR Codes**: Custom-designed QR codes with logos that evade pattern matching - **PDF Attachment QR**: QR code embedded in PDF attachment rather than email body ### Detection Challenges - Pattern-based detection faces trade-off: aggressive tuning causes false positives, cautious tuning causes misses - Average similarity score of 0.209 between quishing and legitimate QR emails - QR codes in image attachments require OCR and deep image processing ## Workflow ### Step 1: Enable Image-Based Threat Detection - Configure email gateway to scan embedded images for QR codes - Enable OCR processing on image attachments (PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP) - Deploy multimodal AI that combines image processing, OCR, and NLP analysis - Configure PDF scanning to detect QR codes within attachments - Set up detection for ASCII/text-based QR code rendering ### Step 2: Configure QR Code URL Analysis - Extract URLs from detected QR codes and submit to URL reputation services - Apply same URL scanning policies to QR-extracted URLs as text-based URLs - Enable real-time sandbox analysis for QR-decoded destination pages - Configure time-of-click protection for QR-extracted URLs where possible - Block known phishing domains extracted from QR codes ### Step 3: Deploy Mobile-Side Protection - Implement mobile threat defense (MTD) with QR code scanning capability - Deploy Palo Alto ALFA or equivalent safe-by-design QR scanning - Configure MDM policies to warn users before opening scanned URLs - Enable corporate VPN/secure browser for QR-scanned destinations - Block known credential harvesting domains at the mobile proxy level ### Step 4: Build Detection Rules - Alert on emails containing only an image and minimal text (common quishing pattern) - Flag emails with QR code images from external first-time senders - Detect urgency language combined with QR code presence - Alert on emails impersonating IT/security team requesting QR scan for MFA setup - Monitor for common quishing themes: MFA reset, document signing, voicemail notification ### Step 5: Train Users on Quishing Recognition - Update security awareness program to include QR code phishing scenarios - Conduct quishing simulation campaigns using controlled QR codes - Teach users to verify QR destination URLs before entering credentials - Establish reporting process for suspicious QR code emails - Distribute guidance on safe QR scanning practices ## Tools & Resources - **Barracuda Multimodal AI**: OCR + deep image processing for QR detection - **Palo Alto ALFA**: Safe-by-design QR code scanning assessment - **Microsoft Defender for O365**: QR code detection in email images - **Proofpoint TAP**: Image-based threat analysis with QR decoding - **Lookout/Zimperium**: Mobile threat defense with QR scanning ## Validation - QR code phishing emails detected in controlled testing - Split QR code and ASCII QR code evasion techniques caught - QR-extracted URLs submitted to sandbox analysis - Mobile devices alert on malicious QR destinations - User reporting rate for quishing simulations exceeds 50% - False positive rate for QR detection below 1%
Related Skills
triaging-security-incident
Performs initial triage of security incidents to determine severity, scope, and required response actions using the NIST SP 800-61r3 and SANS PICERL frameworks. Classifies incidents by type, assigns priority based on business impact, and routes to appropriate response teams. Activates for requests involving incident triage, security alert classification, severity assessment, incident prioritization, or initial incident analysis.
triaging-security-incident-with-ir-playbook
Classify and prioritize security incidents using structured IR playbooks to determine severity, assign response teams, and initiate appropriate response procedures.
triaging-security-alerts-in-splunk
Triages security alerts in Splunk Enterprise Security by classifying severity, investigating notable events, correlating related telemetry, and making escalation or closure decisions using SPL queries and the Incident Review dashboard. Use when SOC analysts face queued alerts from correlation searches, need to prioritize investigation order, or must document triage decisions for handoff to Tier 2/3 analysts.
testing-websocket-api-security
Tests WebSocket API implementations for security vulnerabilities including missing authentication on WebSocket upgrade, Cross-Site WebSocket Hijacking (CSWSH), injection attacks through WebSocket messages, insufficient input validation, denial-of-service via message flooding, and information leakage through WebSocket frames. The tester intercepts WebSocket handshakes and messages using Burp Suite, crafts malicious payloads, and tests for authorization bypass on WebSocket channels. Activates for requests involving WebSocket security testing, WS penetration testing, CSWSH attack, or real-time API security assessment.
testing-jwt-token-security
Assessing JSON Web Token implementations for cryptographic weaknesses, algorithm confusion attacks, and authorization bypass vulnerabilities during security engagements.
testing-for-email-header-injection
Test web application email functionality for SMTP header injection vulnerabilities that allow attackers to inject additional email headers, modify recipients, and abuse contact forms for spam relay.
testing-api-security-with-owasp-top-10
Systematically assessing REST and GraphQL API endpoints against the OWASP API Security Top 10 risks using automated and manual testing techniques.
performing-wireless-security-assessment-with-kismet
Conduct wireless network security assessments using Kismet to detect rogue access points, hidden SSIDs, weak encryption, and unauthorized clients through passive RF monitoring.
performing-ssl-tls-security-assessment
Assess SSL/TLS server configurations using the sslyze Python library to evaluate cipher suites, certificate chains, protocol versions, HSTS headers, and known vulnerabilities like Heartbleed and ROBOT.
performing-soap-web-service-security-testing
Perform security testing of SOAP web services by analyzing WSDL definitions and testing for XML injection, XXE, WS-Security bypass, and SOAPAction spoofing.
performing-serverless-function-security-review
Performing security reviews of serverless functions across AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, and GCP Cloud Functions to identify overly permissive execution roles, insecure environment variables, injection vulnerabilities, and missing runtime protections.
performing-security-headers-audit
Auditing HTTP security headers including CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, and cookie attributes to identify missing or misconfigured browser-level protections.