- Add validated mitre_attack frontmatter to all 754 skills (286 distinct
techniques), verified against MITRE ATT&CK v19.1 via the official
mitreattack-python library: 0 revoked, deprecated, or invalid IDs
- Curate precise per-skill technique IDs for forensics, malware-analysis,
threat-intel, and red-team skills (e.g. DCSync -> T1003.006,
Kerberoasting -> T1558.003, Pass-the-Ticket -> T1550.003)
- Reconcile v19.1 tactic restructuring: Defense Evasion split into
Stealth (TA0005) and Defense Impairment (TA0112); revoked T1562.*
family and T1070.001/.002 remapped to active equivalents (T1685.*)
- Normalize word-split tags across 35 skills (remove filename-derived
stopword tags, add semantic cybersecurity tags)
- Add api-reference.md for 3 skills that were missing it
- Update README ATT&CK section with accurate v19.1 tactic distribution
Detect and prevent QR code phishing (quishing) attacks that bypass traditional email security by embedding malicious URLs in QR code images within emails.
cybersecurity
phishing-defense
quishing
qr-code
phishing
email-security
image-analysis
ocr
mobile-security
1.0
mahipal
Apache-2.0
AML.T0052
AML.T0024
AML.T0035
MEASURE-2.8
MAP-5.1
PR.AT-01
DE.CM-09
RS.CO-02
DE.AE-02
T1566
T1598
T1534
T1036
T1027
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
Bypasses URL Scanners: Traditional gateways scan text-based URLs but cannot decode image-embedded URLs
Shifts to Unprotected Devices: Corporate email arrives on secured systems but QR scan occurs on personal mobile devices
User Trust: QR codes are normalized in daily life (payments, menus, parking)
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
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