Ben purchased a new smartphone and received some updates on it through the OTA method. He received two messages: one with a PIN from the network operator and another asking him to enter the PIN…

In an advanced SMS phishing (OTA phishing) attack, the attacker impersonates a network operator by sending a fraudulent OTA provisioning message along with a fake authorization PIN via SMS. When the victim enters the attacker-supplied PIN to confirm the OTA update, the device accepts and applies the malicious configuration - such as a rogue proxy or APN setting - causing the abnormal behavior Ben experienced.

Bypass SSL pinning is a technique used during mobile application penetration testing to defeat certificate pinning and intercept HTTPS traffic in an app, which involves no SMS messages or OTA provisioning manipulation.

Generic phishing broadly describes deceptive credential-harvesting via email or fake websites, but this scenario specifically exploits the OTA provisioning protocol over SMS, making the more precise classification of advanced SMS phishing correct.

A Tap 'n Ghost attack uses NFC communication and a transparent touchscreen overlay to silently manipulate a target device during physical proximity, which is unrelated to SMS or OTA configuration messages.