The attack principle of SMS bombing involves overwhelming a target's mobile phone with a large volume of SMS messages in a short period. This is typically achieved by exploiting vulnerabilities in online services that allow sending SMS verification codes or notifications. Attackers use automated scripts or bots to repeatedly request SMS messages to the victim's phone number, exhausting their inbox, draining battery, or incurring high charges (if applicable).
Example:
An attacker targets a user's phone number by submitting multiple sign-up or login requests on various websites that trigger SMS verification codes. The victim receives hundreds of messages within minutes, making their phone unusable.
In cloud environments, services like SMS verification APIs must implement rate limiting and CAPTCHA challenges to prevent abuse. Tencent Cloud's SMS service provides features such as frequency control, IP reputation checks, and behavioral analysis to mitigate SMS bombing attacks.