Spotify playlists and podcasts are being abused for the promotion of pirated software, game cheat codes, spam links, and “warez” sites.
Fraudsters take advantage of the fact that Spotify's web player results appear in search engines, such as Google, and insert specific keywords and links into playlist names and podcast descriptions.
Spotify playlists drive warez
Recently, a Spotify playlist titled “Sony Vegas Pro 13 Crack…” was driving traffic to one or more sites with “free” software (mentioned in the playlist title and description).
The playlist in question was spotted by Karol Paciorek, who said: “Cybercriminals are exploiting Spotify to distribute malware. Why? Spotify has a great reputation and its pages are easily indexed by search engines, making it an effective platform for promoting malicious links.”
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Spotify is now being used to distribute “warez” or “crack” which refers to bootleg or pirated software that is distributed online. Downloading pirated software is very dangerous as it is very likely to download malware onto your device.
Meanwhile, the abuse of popular platforms, such as Spotify, helps scammers further promote malicious links their, since popular sites rank higher in search engine results.
Those searching for keywords like “free download” in combination with “Sony Vegas Pro 13” or other software may see results like:
This happens because Spotify offers a web player version at open.spotify.com. The playlists and podcasts that are available in the web player are detected, as with any website, and appear in search engines.
This means that illegal "free" software websites now have greater visibility and a better chance of driving traffic to their servers.
Following the abuse report, Spotify removed the “Sony Vegas Pro” playlist and podcast, and a spokesperson told Bleeping Computer: “The playlist title in question has been removed. Spotify’s Rules prohibit publishing, sharing, or providing instructions for implementing malware or related malicious practices that seek to harm or lead to unauthorized access to computers, networks, systems, or other technology.”
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Abuse and podcast episodes
BleepingComputer discovered that the problem wasn't limited to playlists promoting links to pirated software. It also found several podcasts with multiple "episodes" that were published with the intent of promoting spam links, "torrents," and Telegram channels that appear to be scams.
These “episodes” are approximately ten to twenty seconds long and include a synthetic voice-over message directing users to visit the “link in the description.”
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“Hello viewers, welcome to my channel, there is good news from me, if you want to download or listen to audiobooks from this channel, click on the link in the description and subscribe there. Then you will have unlimited access to the books. Please follow me. I am looking for many ebook and audiobook options. Thank you for coming to my channel, warm greetings from me“.
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These links lead to a page that has “download” or “read online” buttons next to the digital cover of the advertised book. However, if someone clicks on one of the buttons, they may see a survey open, or worse, be redirected to supposed “ad block” Chrome extensions that may be collecting your data.
Abuse of Spotify podcasts with bait game cheats and “GTA V” mods
Similarly, some podcasts claimed to offer game cheat codes for Apex Legends, Fortnite hacks, Roblox scripts, and “GTA V mods.”
The text “Free Cheat Codes” in the description of a podcast led to a website cheater.ninja.
The misuse of Spotify playlists and podcasts for illegal activities is a serious issue that requires immediate attention. The platform must take the necessary measures to prevent such activities and ensure a safe listening experience for its users.
Additionally, as responsible members of the community, it is our duty to stay informed about potential risks, report any malicious content , and support artists by defending their rights. Working together, we can help maintain the integrity of music services and protect both ourselves and the artists we love.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
