Computer security: qr code security issue?

Self-tutoring about computer security: the tutor mentions the potential security risk from scanning a qr code from one’s phone.

Likely lots of people know this already, but I didn’t, until today.

I was looking in a junk email folder and found one – obviously a scam – that asked me to scan a barcode for how to receive a parcel (or something like that). I wasn’t planning to do so, but wondered if, somehow, even that could be unsafe. Believe it or not, it could be, for an interesting couple of reasons.

The first reason is that apparently some newer forms of Android include a code scanner right in the camera. I tried this with the Android phone I use and find it to be true.

The next reason is that, it seems, some devices can enable the camera and the browser to automatically work together. Therefore, the camera can scan a qr code that contains a link, and from there the browser can follow the link spontaneously. If said link is to a dangerous site, the user is now in danger.

The junk email that asked me to scan a barcode arrived on an email client that automatically cleans photos from the emails, for security purposes. I guess that’s one reason why.

Interesting, eh?

Source:

microsoft.com

android.com