Bypassing AVS and 3D Secure in 2026: Ghost Hunting in the Age of Contextual AI

[Professor]

Attempts to circumvent the Address Verification Service (AVS) and 3D Secure (3DS) are a fundamental battle in carding. However, by 2026, this battle has changed radically. It's no longer about finding holes in static rules, but a complex game of deceiving adaptive machine learning systems that evaluate hundreds of parameters in real time. There is no longer a direct "bypass." There is only the creation of an ideal context in which the system itself will deem a transaction legitimate.

Part 1: AVS (Address Verification Service) – More Than Just the ZIP Code​

AVS checks the numeric portion of the address and postal code against bank data. This used to be a simple check. Now it's just one of hundreds of signals.

What WON'T work in 2026:

• Using random addresses (even real ones) – the system immediately detects a discrepancy between the IP geolocation, the card's billing address, and the delivery address.
• Matching "close" ZIP codes — the algorithms know the neighborhood map down to the meter. A discrepancy of even one block can be a flag for low-risk transactions, but not for large ones.
• The hope for "AVS Bypass Bins" — lists of cards whose issuing banks supposedly have disabled AVS verification—is largely a myth in 2026. Even if the bank doesn't block a transaction due to a mismatch, this information is fed into the merchant's anti-fraud system (Riskified, Forter, Kount), which assesses the overall risk.

What is analyzed TOGETHER with AVS (contextual analysis):

1. Link "Card - Account - Address":
   • Is there a history of purchases made with this card to this delivery address? (Even small ones?)
   • Is the card linked to payment systems (Apple/Google Pay) on the device from which the order is being placed?
2. Geolocation consensus:
   • IP address (must be a residential ISP from the cardholder's city).
   • Device location (if access is allowed in the browser).
   • Time of purchase (does it match the time zone of the address?).
   • Trend 2026: Systems check IP address history. If the IP "lived" in Miami, the cardholder was from Seattle, and they first met while shopping for something expensive, that's a red flag.

A vulnerability that can still be exploited (with a lot of preparation):

• Working with "warm" addresses. Instead of bypassing AVS, use it correctly. This is done using fullz with access to a bank account, where you can temporarily change the billing address to the drop address, or cards that are initially linked to the desired address (for example, student cards registered at their parents' address, but delivery is also required there). This is not a bypass, but a feign of legitimacy.

Part 2: 3D Secure (3DS / Verified by Visa / Mastercard Identity Check) – The End of the Era of "Silent" Transactions​

The 3DS isn't an enemy, but a gatekeeper whose decisions can be predicted.

What doesn't work (classic attacks are dead):

• Using cards with 3DS disabled — such cards are either not issued or are automatically subject to store limits and additional checks.
• Man-in-the-middle attacks (MITB) - Modern 3DS v2.3+ implementations utilize deep integration into the merchant's app/website, mobile SDKs, and device fingerprinting.
• Attempting to forge an OTP (SMS code) through real-time phishing requires incredible synchronization and most often fails due to delays.

How the modern 3DS (v2.3+) works and where its "weaknesses" are:
The system works according to scenarios (Frictionless vs. Challenge Flow).

1. Frictionless Scenario: The transaction is approved instantly, without requiring a code. The decision is made by the issuing bank's algorithmbased on a massive data set:
   • Cardholder's purchase history.
   • Familiar devices, browsers, locations.
   • Behavioral profile (how quickly he enters data, mouse movements).
   • Seller risk profile (a store with a high fraud rate will never receive Frictionless).
2. Challenge scenario: A code is requested from an SMS, a bank application, or biometrics.

The 3DS "Bypass" in 2026 is an attempt to enter Frictionless Flow. Methods:

1. Behavioral Cloning:
   • Using his real device (via remote RAT access) or an exact emulation of his fingerprint in an anti-detect browser.
   • Executing a transaction during its normal activity time.
   • Start your session by visiting familiar sites (social networks, email), rather than going directly to the store.
2. Control over verification channels:
   • Fullz with access to email and phone numbers are an absolute must. Receiving SMS or push notifications to your monitored number/device.
   • Access to your mobile banking account for confirmation through the app.
3. Choosing the right moment and store:
   • Low-risk transactions: The first purchase from a new account should not be $3,000. It should be a small purchase ($20-$50) followed by a larger one.
   • "White" stores: Stores with a low historical chargeback rate have a higher chance of receiving a Frictionless scenario from partner banks.

The Biggest Vulnerability of 2026: The System Trusts What Looks Normal​

Bottom line: There are almost no direct technical bypasses for AVS and 3D Secure that work "head-on." Vulnerability has shifted to data quality and context.

The only viable "method" is a full takeover of the cardholder's digital life (Full Account Takeover), with access to their email, bank account, phone number, and history, followed by the transaction under conditions as close to their own as possible. This makes carding an operation accessible only to highly skilled hacker groups, not to ordinary "dropshippers."

For anyone else, attempting to bypass these systems is a game of Russian roulette, where the probability of success is inversely proportional to the order amount, and every failure strengthens the AI models, making them even smarter. AVS and 3D Secure have become not walls to be broken down, but smart mirrors reflecting the truth about the transaction. They can only be fooled by temporarily becoming the person whose reflection they expect to see.