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Are You Making This Terrible Mistake That Lets Criminals Steal Your Passwords Through YouTube?
For over a year, a large criminal operation called the Ghost Network was active on YouTube. Security experts from Check Point Research discovered this network and helped shut it down, leading to the removal of more than 3,000 dangerous videos. This operation was a coordinated effort to trick people into downloading software that steals their personal information.
The criminals used what appeared to be helpful YouTube videos, such as tutorials for cracked software or video game cheats. These videos were bait. The goal was to get viewers to download harmful programs, known as infostealers, like Rhadamanthys and Lumma. Once installed, these programs would steal login credentials for bank accounts, social media profiles, and cryptocurrency wallets.
How the Ghost Network Operated
The network was a sophisticated system that used different types of YouTube accounts working together to build a false sense of trust.
- Video Accounts: These fake or hijacked accounts uploaded the videos containing links to malicious files. For example, a compromised channel with 129,000 subscribers shared a video for a fake version of Adobe Photoshop that gained over 290,000 views.
- Post Accounts: These accounts published community posts containing passwords for the downloaded files and updated links to the malware.
- Interaction Accounts: A fleet of accounts posted positive comments and likes on the malicious videos. These fake endorsements made the downloads appear legitimate and safe to unsuspecting viewers.
The attack followed a clear pattern. A user would download a password-protected file from a service like Google Drive. The instructions would then require the user to temporarily disable their computer’s antivirus protection. This action allowed the malicious software to run undetected. Once executed, the software would collect sensitive data and send it to servers controlled by the criminals.
How to Protect Yourself
Protecting yourself from such attacks involves being cautious and following basic security practices. These simple measures are highly effective.
- Do not download software from unofficial sources, especially sites offering “cracked” or free versions of paid programs.
- Never disable your antivirus or security software when an installer asks you to. Legitimate software does not require you to lower your computer’s defenses.
- Be skeptical of videos that promise free access to popular software or game cheats. If an offer seems too good to be true, it likely is.