Researchers Find 3,000 Dangerous Videos Of Malware Spreaders On YouTube
JAKARTA Check Point Research, a cybersecurity research group, has succeeded in revealing the operation of the distribution of malware in disguise on YouTube. This campaign is referred to as the YouTube Ghost Network.
Operations carried out to distribute these dangerous videos and comments have been carried out since 2021. However, there has been a significant increase. As of 2025, researchers recorded a triple increase in malicious uploads.
"Several channels have been infiltrated by threat actors and in turn, the channel is armed to lure hundreds of thousands of existing customers to download malware. This is what happened recently," said Check Point Research in a statement received by VOI.
There are more than 3,000 videos associated with this malicious network. The campaign is said to be exploiting systematically compromised accounts through false engagement and platform community features.
This YouTube Ghost Network uses a structured model in maintaining its operations. The compromised accounts are divided into three main roles, including video uploaders, post publishers, and interaction boosters.
Video accounts are tasked with hosting phishing videos promoting fake software cracks or game cheats. These videos often instruct users to disable Windows Defender before installation process starts.
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Meanwhile, the post account publishes a 'community update' containing links to malicious archives hosted on services such as MediaFire and Google Drive. Finally, the interaction account will flood the video with positive comments and likes.
This tactic is designed to build trust. Video descriptions usually include download links and passwords to access protected archives. The use of this password is a technique that can prevent antiviral systems from scanning archive content.
This archive then contains malware disguised as a pirated application or a free device. For example, one of the videos discussing the Photoshop 'track' was seen 293,000 times. This video of course managed to trap several victims.