How Attackers Outsmart MFA in 2025

MFA (multi-factor authentication) has long been the cornerstone of identity protection. But in 2025, rising MFA fatigue and new evasion techniques are allowing attackers to find ways around even the most trusted security layers. As reported by SC Media, adversaries have shifted focus from stealing passwords to exploiting the very systems meant to prevent unauthorized access. One of the most widespread examples is MFA fatigue, also known as push bombing, where attackers flood users with authentication requests until one is approved out of frustration or confusion.

But fatigue isn’t the only front. Threat actors are also increasingly leveraging session hijacking and OAuth token theft, stealing active session tokens to bypass authentication altogether. Once inside, they can move laterally without re-triggering MFA challenges, effectively rendering the control useless.

Adding to the complexity, AI-driven social engineering is giving attackers new tools to deceive targets. Deepfake audio and synthetic identities are being used to impersonate executives or IT staff, convincing victims to authorize access requests. Experts note that MFA remains essential, but its implementation gaps, from legacy apps without MFA support to weak fallback options like email or SMS, continue to offer entry points. In short, MFA failures often stem not from the technology itself, but from inconsistent coverage and poor user experience.

This emphasizes a need for phishing-resistant MFA, adaptive identity verification, and better detection of anomalous login patterns. Continuous monitoring and user education are also critical in combating fatigue-based and token-theft attacks. Staying secure in 2025 requires a layered defense strategy that protects not only credentials, but the human and technical weaknesses surrounding them.

SC Media. 2025. “How attackers outsmart MFA in 2025.” March 24.

READ: http://bit.ly/4qMsu11

How Attackers Outsmart MFA in 2025