YouTube videos

CloudSEK researchers observe new technique uses AI-generated human personas for the tried-and-true tactic of spreading malware via phishing campaigns.

“The use of AI to include digitally generated humans is an interesting touch, especially if they are generating them based on the generally accepted symmetry which makes people find them ‘attractive,’ and thus ‘soothing’ or ‘trusting,’” said Fulmer. The threat actors use previous data leaks, phishing techniques and stealer logs to take over existing YouTube accounts. The threat actors target the online video-sharing platform because of YouTube's roughly 2.5 billion active monthly users.

Cybersecurity researchers have observed a 200–300% month-on-month increase in YouTube videos containing links to information stealer (infostealer) malware ...

A growing number of these were generated using artificial intelligence (AI) programs such as Synthesia and D-ID. “String-based rules will prove ineffective against malware that dynamically generates strings and/or uses encrypted strings. Infostealers observed to be delivered via these videos included Vidar, RedLine and Raccoon. “[For instance], a Hogwarts [Legacy] crack download video generated using d-id.com was uploaded to a YouTube channel with 184,000 subscribers. [Read more on Raccoon here: Credential Stealer Malware Raccoon Updated to Obtain Passwords More Efficiently](https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/credential-stealer-malware-raccoon/) Encryption and encoding methods differ from sample to sample (e.g., new versions of Vidar, Raccoon, etc.),” Karthick explained.

According to cybersecurity firm CloudSEK, these videos, which have increased by 200-300 percent month-on-month since November 2022, often pose as tutorials ...

[Market Coverage](https://www.cnbctv18.com/market/), [Business News](https://www.cnbctv18.com/business/)& get real-time [Stock Market](https://www.cnbctv18.com/market-live/)Updates on CNBC-TV18. Users should also enable multi-factor authentication, refrain from clicking on unknown links and emails, and avoid using pirated software. In a concerning trend, these threat actors are now utilising AI-generated videos to amplify their reach, and YouTube has become a convenient platform for their distribution. CloudSEK said it has observed a 2-3 times month-on-month increase in the number of videos spreading stealer malware on the platform. To spread this malware, threat actors seem to be employing various tactics, including screen recordings and audio walkthroughs. YouTube is the most popular platform for watching videos and has over 122 million daily active users, according to Global Media Insight.

AI-generated videos pose as tutorials on how to get cracked versions of Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and more.

"Hence, there has been a recent trend of videos featuring AI-generated personas, across languages and platforms (Twitter, Youtube, Instagram), providing recruitment details, educational training, promotional material, etc. [infostealer malware.](https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/infostealer-malware-market-booms-mfa-fatigue) Artificial Intelligence is being used to generate videos pretending to be step-by-step tutorials on how to access programs like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Autodesk 3ds Max, AutoCAD, and others without a license.