Massive YouTube malware distribution network dismantled

Google and Check Point have partnered to disrupt the "YouTube Ghost Network" that exploited legitimate YouTube accounts to spread information-stealing malware through tutorials for installing cracked software or game cheats, The Register reports.

More than 3,000 malware-laced videos on YouTube have been removed as part of the crackdown, which came as malicious videos part of the campaign increased by threefold this year, according to a Check Point analysis.

Attackers behind the massive malware distribution network used thousands of breached and bogus accounts to post illicit video tutorials for installing cracked versions of Adobe and Microsoft Office tools, as well as cheats for Roblox, which lured targeted viewers into deactivating antivirus software before downloading an archive file containing the Rhadamanthys and Lumma infostealers.

"This takedown shows that even trusted platforms aren't immune to weaponization, but it also proves that with the right intelligence and partnerships, we can push back," said Check Point Security Research Group Manager Eli Smadja.