Spotify Faces Issue with Pirated Software, Cheat Codes, and Adult Content

By Media Infotainment Team | Friday, 22 November 2024

Security researchers have discovered a troubling trend on Spotify, where playlists and podcasts are being used to promote malware and pirated software. A report by 404 Media reveals that users are exploiting playlist and podcast descriptions to distribute spam, malicious software, illegal downloads, and cheat codes for video games.

One example, pointed out by security researcher Karol Paciorek, involved a playlist named "Sony Vegas Pro13 Crack Free Download 2024 mysoftwarefree.com." This playlist openly promoted a website, mysoftwarefree.com, which is known to host malicious software.

Although Spotify has reportedly removed the specific playlist in question, Paciorek warns that the issue is widespread. He noted that users can easily find links to "Vbucks generators" (used to cheat in Fortnite) and "license key cracks" (for activating pirated software) hidden within playlists and podcast descriptions. In a statement to 404 Media, a Spotify spokesperson said, "The playlist title in question has been removed. Spotify's Platform Rules prohibit posting, sharing, or providing instructions on implementing malware or other malicious practices that aim to harm or gain unauthorized access to computers, networks, systems, or technologies."

The report suggests that these listings frequently take advantage of Spotify's search engine optimization. Even if Spotify blocks certain keywords on its platform, searching for those terms on Google still leads to malicious links hosted on Spotify.

Spammers also exploit the system by using unrelated audio content and deceptive titles tied to trending topics, such as TikTok or adult entertainment, to boost search visibility. For instance, there is a podcast called "forlinks" featuring several short episodes, each containing descriptions that link to Turkish gambling sites. The episode titles of these spam accounts often include popular keywords related to TikTok influencers or adult content, further enhancing their search engine reach.

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