Spam YouTube messages contain malware

YouTube's message sending system has been partly compromised by cybercriminals who are using it to spread malware.

PandaLabs has revealed that hackers are sending spoof YouTube messages to users, telling them that they have been caught on a spy cam and the video has been posted on the internet. The scam aims to trick users into clicking the link to the video.

The messages appear to have been sent from YouTube and lead to a malware strain detected as Autodelete.G.

Dominic Hoskins, country manager at Panda Security, said: “This type of attack is a frequently used technique of social engineering which, surprisingly, is very effective despite its relatively simple methodology. Cyber-crooks increasingly use popular social services such as YouTube to give authenticity to their emails and increase the number of potential victims.”

It also claimed that popular social networks and online services such as YouTube or Facebook will continue to be used to spread malware throughout 2009.

See original article on scmagazineuk.com