Anyone get an alert about a free software update to prevent engine damage?

[Blade007]

Just got back from the dealer. I walked in and showed them the message and they looked and couldn't see anything so I left.
What was interesting though was that I was told that the fordpass app is run by a 3rd party and not ford.
If this alert shows up in your app you should be wary
Thanks for all the input guys. Stay safe

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[wade001]

have an appointment tomorrow.
Will see what they want to do and make sure it's for me before they do anything.
I'll post an update when I get back
Stay safe guys

i think the 's part was a variable that didnt get filled in.. "Your [vehicle_type]'s engine requires a quick, FREE....."
the fordpass app, while has worked for me, hasnt been the most... polished.. piece of software i have ever used.. this does reak of phishing, but does look like it came _from_ the app itself, with the correct font and all..

if this is a phishing scam, its a decent one.. and while i thought so at first as well.. i think its just buggy fordpass app.

 

[Echo4papa]

You can easily see that it is a phishing scam. The grammar is 2nd grade lvl. I like the use of "Your 's" Just delete it.

It's not "Your 's". This is a data issue, not grammar. It's "Your [vehicle model]'s..." but the vehicle model field is blank for some reason, so it doesn't populate and ends up looking the way it does in the screenshot.

 

[hws52]

Did you go into the FordPass app to check?

 

[Blade007]

Did you go into the FordPass app to check?

This is where I got the alert

 

[Bikeman315]

This is where I got the alert

Have you contacted Ford directly about it. This may or may have not been a hack but Ford needs to see it.

 

[Blade007]

Have you contacted Ford directly about it. This may or may have not been a hack but Ford needs to see it.

I didn't bother. I will try to this week
Thanks

 

[GT 550]

Sooo...a somewhat dodgy looking message is transmitted via what appears to be the legit Ford app, and the dealership responds with essentially a blank look. Awesome. This is one of those instances that shows why businesses are so vulnerable to cyber intrusion, and industrial espionage and cyber crime is rampant.

If this is in fact a cyber intrusion, and not as someone quite reasonably suggested a poorly worded but legit third party message, it doesn't matter if it's a smart kid or a state actor because the issue is that they've identified a keyhole into the site and therefore potentially gained back door access to people's details and systems. We don't know where the Ford app is linked to or how, or if it's firewalled or surveilled for malicious activity. It could also be sensitivity testing to see what reaction the intruders get when sending out such messages; if there's very little or none from the parent company (who may try to blame it on something else in the same way telcos/phone manufacturers/app developers sometimes try to blame each other when issues arise) it can be a green light to do more. But even though companies big and small get owned by state and other cyber criminals on a regular basis thus losing billions of dollars of productivity in r&d and costing jobs, and diminishing company value not to mention exposing sensitive customer information, the incidence of CEOs and Board members losing their jobs over such breaches is relatively rare. Folks will triple lock doors, install alarms, carry a gun, and then gleefully acquire the latest app or appliance that has the capability to listen to their every conversation or capture data from clipboards (iOS 14 has so far just outed 50+ apps that do this).

Sorry /rant.

@Blade007 kudos for calling out here and pursuing this, you could just be one to expose the tip of the iceberg. Not wishing to startle the horses but IMHO it might be worth deleting the Ford app from your phone until you know what's really happened. And sincerely I do hope it's just a badly worded message.

 

[randy_tho]

OP, iphone or Android?

There are some techniques using a screen overlay to impersonate an app on a compromised device.
https://blog.malwarebytes.com/cybercrime/2017/10/a-new-kind-of-apple-phishing-scam/

During the message you can kind of play with the task switcher to get a feel if that is what is happening.

 

[Blade007]

OP, iphone or Android?

iphone

 

[randy_tho]

Added to my above post. Any idea if something like that? Have you jailbroke it or anything?

iphone

 

[Blade007]

Added to my above post. Any idea if something like that? Have you jailbroke it or anything?

not jailbroken. The screen is from the app on the phone

 

[randy_tho]

Maybe you got some kind of test message by accident?

not jailbroken. The screen is from the app on the phone

 

[Blade007]

Maybe. I made sure I inquired about it before they touched the car to make sure. I'll try to call ford about it and see what they say later this week and report back if I find anything

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