Gmailアカウントに対たいする復旧ふっきゅう困難こんなんなハッキング手法しゅほうの実態じったいとグーグルの対応たいおう——子こどもアカウント機能きのうの悪用あくようをめぐって

I have written numerous articles about Googles security so far, mainly focusing on risk warnings related to Gmail, such as vulnerabilities, threat campaigns, and password leaks. Gmail is the worlds largest free email service.

Furthermore, based on the information provided by Google, we also offered advice on specific measures to mitigate attack risks.

However, I recently received a report from a reader saying, My Gmail account was hacked and taken over, and no matter what I try, I cant log back in.

This completely locked state must be said to be an extremely serious concern.

Furthermore, Google has also responded, We are currently investigating the matter and plan to release specific guidance in the near future, which is causing even more anxiety.

In this article, we will examine how a new Gmail hacking technique can make it completely impossible to regain access to your account, as well as discuss measures to prevent such damage.

The method revealed this time is a very sophisticated technique that exploits features originally designed to protect accounts, completely excluding the account owner.

Specifically, the attacker changed the age information on the victims account to 10 years old, and then registered that account as a child account within a family account they controlled.

In fact, there was a report on Reddits Gmail specialist forum that an account created 12 years ago was recorded as being 10 years old, and the owner was completely unable to access it.

Logically speaking, it is impossible for the owner of an account created 12 years ago to still be 10 years old, but the current system is unable to automatically detect this inconsistency.

As a result, victims whose accounts have been set as sub-accounts by attackers will no longer be able to use any of the account recovery methods provided by Google.

Furthermore, the attacker is demanding that the victim send gift cards in exchange for returning the account, which is an extremely malicious act.

Many other users have also pointed out that the abuse of the sub-account feature is becoming a common tactic among hackers, and it has now become extremely difficult to recover from.

There is also a specific suggestion for improvement, such as When changing the date of birth on an account, all authentication factors should be re-verified.

According to a Google spokesperson, the companys security team is investigating this issue as a known tactic used by some account hijackers and plans to release detailed guidance soon.

However, although such cases are still quite rare at present, it cannot be denied that there are concerns the damage may spread if this method becomes widely known.

Recommended temporary measures include enabling two-factor authentication, using passkeys, regularly checking devices and contact information linked to your account, and setting up recovery contacts see the Google support page for details.

The most important thing against this type of attack is to implement security measures so that accounts are not compromised in the first place.

Therefore, it can be said that setting up passkeys and enabling two-factor authentication immediately is extremely important.