30,000 YouTube videos have malicious links in comments
Friday, May 22, 2009
Google's YouTube video site contains roughly 30,000 videos with malicious links to a malware site in comments that purport to link to pornographic videos, PandaLabs said today.
Panda Security's malware analysis and detection laboratory said the links go to a website where users are directed to download a file in order to view videos, but that the file is designed to distribute PrivacyCenter fake anti virus.
This is yet another example of how cybercriminals are attacking popular Web 2.0 sites to distribute malware, the web security firm said. Similar attacks have previously been seen, to a lesser extent, on sites including Digg.com and Facebook.
"The technique of using malicious comments on YouTube is not new," said Luis Corrons, technical director of PandaLabs. "What is alarming, however, is the quantity of links we have detected pointing to the same web page. This suggests that cybercriminals are using automation tools to publish these comments."
The malware, when run on a computer, pretends to scan the system, supposedly detecting dozens of non-existent viruses. The program offers users the chance to buy the paid version of the anti virus to clean their computers.
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