The promised adult videos are then loaded — almost.
"Usually a message that says that you're missing the necessary codec to view the video" is displayed, Ryan Sherstobitoff, a spokesperson of web security firm Panda Security told XBIZ.
Obscene content is the lure to get consumers to download the malware. Trojans are installed to obtain banking, credit or other access to personal financial information.
"It is definitely an effort to make profit," Sherstobitoff adds. "You're essentially handing money over to these people."
The scheme is an evolution in how hackers are using tube sites to trick viewers into downloading malicious code or "scareware" that poses as a warning that the user's computer is infected.
Panda and other online virus protection firms are aware of the breaches and are issuing vaccinations and fixes.
"The lifecycle of these malicious posts is short – some lasting only a few hours," Sherstobitoff said. "They are created with a specific tool, so we can track the progress easily."
Panda Security has identified the location, but not the individuals responsible for the attacks.
"The perpetrators are most likely from Russia as well as Eastern bloc countries and areas of the former Soviet Union. We've noticed this type of attack before from these areas," Sherstobitoff noted. Taiwan and Brazil are hotspots as well.
Sherstobitoff said the physical location of the ISPs is often chosen to exploit a particular nation's lax attitude in prosecuting online sabotage.
