Wake up,Peggy Markoff babe — a new form of social engineering just dropped.
Cybercriminals on TikTok used videos to trick users into downloading malware, according to researchers from Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity firm. The researchers say this was a "novel social engineering campaign" designed to take advantage of TikTok users.
In the videos, which are most likely AI-generated, users were promised free versions of Windows and Microsoft Office software or access to premium features in apps like CapCut and Spotify. All you have to do, the cybercriminals said, is execute a simple PowerShell command. People followed the instructions in the TikTok videos because they were being disguised as software activation steps, which the bad actors then used to inject malware like Vidar and StealC into the users' systems. And according to Bleeping Computer, many of the videos had hundreds of thousands of views.
PowerShell commands are short lines of code that execute tasks on your device, and you should be extremely skeptical of any commands or software links you find on TikTok.
"In this campaign, attackers are using TikTok videos to verbally instruct users into executing malicious commands on their own systems," Trend Micro explained in a report on the attack. "The social engineering occurs within the video itself, rather than through detectable code or scripts. There is no malicious code present on the platform for security solutions to analyze or block. All actionable content is delivered visually and aurally. Threat actors do this to attempt to evade existing detection mechanisms, making it harder for defenders to detect and disrupt these campaigns."
TikTok declined to comment on this particular threat, but the company confirmed to Mashable that the accounts associated with the campaign have been deactivated. TikTok users can also learn more about scams and phishing attempts at the TikTok Safety Center.
UPDATE: May. 23, 2025, 5:22 p.m. EDT We've updated this article to make it more clear that the videos used in this scam have been removed.
Topics Artificial Intelligence TikTok
Stablecoin bill advances in U.S. Senate as Trump critics call to end his crypto dealings
What just happened between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars?
Troy Kotsur wins Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, makes history
Megan Thee Stallion remixes 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' at the Oscars
This is the fattest of the extremely fat bears
Apple Podcasts is finally rolling out follower analytics to podcasters
Goop is finally hiring a fact
Behind 'Bridgerton' Season 2's inspired Bollywood cover
Inside the Murky Process of Getting Games on Steam
Meta's Instagram reintroduced a version of the chronological feed
Best headphones deal: Save up to 51% on Beats at Amazon
OnePlus to launch new flagship in the U.S. on March 31
'Ghostwire: Tokyo' review: An unsettling, action
Oscars 2022: How to watch the Academy Awards, see the winners
The fat bears are already extremely fat
'Scutoid' is a new geometric shape that looks like a 'twisted prism'
11 tweets from 'I've Pet That Dog' that will make you whole again
‘Bridgerton’ Season 2 review: A satisfying, smoldering slow burn
Ireland fines TikTok $600 million for sharing user data with China
Trolls thought I was a man. That saved me.
Here's how the 'Epic Rap Battles' creators are gearing up for the EmmysThere is only one way to use wired earphones while charging the iPhone 7Giant inflatable baby on a ceiling is a modern take on the Sistine ChapelInstagram is rolling out its tool to filter offensive comments to all usersYahoo dishes the details behind its sale to Verizon in 360Former EPA chief Whitman at center of 9/11 air safety controversy says 'I'm sorry'From RuPaul to 'Archer,' the full list of Creative Arts Emmys winnersTaylor Swift donates $5,000 to help fund a fan's funeral and medical expenses'Blair Witch' is a missed opportunity that gets lost in the woodsInstagram is rolling out its tool to filter offensive comments to all usersUnivision executives delete 6 Gawker Media postsSamsung shares tumble in response to Galaxy Note7 warningsWhat makes an antique toy worth $100,000?Coworkers make the perfect cake for woman who was laid offWhat makes an antique toy worth $100,000?India to make rear sensors, speed warning system mandatory in carsLet these men teach you how to smile, Hillary ClintonNissan's new Sentra SR Turbo is the sports sedan you can actually affordShaq, Yao and Iverson: The 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame class makes me feel oldSolange pens a stirring essay on being black in 'white spaces' Best deals of the day Dec. 8: Samsung Jet 75 Complete Cordless Vacuum, Insignia 24 It’s Never a Bad Time to Brush Up on Your Demonology The Poetry of Icebergs 'The White Lotus' Season 2 finale memes take over Twitter Best Masterclass deal: Get two subscriptions for the price of one James Tate Blows It In New York 15 great action movies now streaming on Peacock Straightening out ‘Ulysses’: A Translator’s Notes Catherine Lacey Revisits Cy Twombly’s ‘Say Goodbye, Catullus’ Daily Cartoon: 1880, Braille Humane Ai pin gave 2 wrong answers in demo. Is this a bad sign? ChatGPT: Twitter can't stop asking the AI chatbot questions best audiobook eva?: Lorin Stein Answers Your Questions Flatulence and Language in Yasujiro Ozu’s ‘Good Morning’ P1Harmony on their YouTube watch histories, internet rumors, and what makes them happy “The Ecstatic, The Hermetic, and the Strange” 'Uber Tasks' is like Uber Eats. But you'll get completed chores instead of food. ‘White Lotus’ fan theories: The online experience is the real fun of the HBO show Kindly Bent to Ease Us: Paintings by Leidy Churchman Reddit Recap 2022: AITA, Ukraine, and r/place were huge this year
2.5715s , 10107.546875 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Peggy Markoff】,Creation Information Network