this post was submitted on 19 Nov 2024
111 points (98.3% liked)

Technology

60112 readers
2262 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Spotify playlists and podcasts are being abused to push pirated software, game cheat codes, spam links, and "warez" sites.

By injecting targeted keywords and links in playlist names and podcast descriptions, threat actors may benefit from boosting SEO for their dubious online properties, since Spotify's web player results appear in search engines like Google.

top 19 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] jdw@links.mayhem.academy 61 points 1 month ago (3 children)

“Warez”. That’s a name I’ve not heard for a long time.

[–] P1nkman@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Now let's bring back astalavista 🤘

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 11 points 1 month ago

With a name like that, they'll be back.

[–] francisfordpoopola@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

A long time.

[–] Sabata11792@ani.social 27 points 1 month ago

If i find out about a piracy site though any means other than word of mouth and my own research, I assume it's fake and malicious.

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 23 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Oh! We're reviving "warez"? Nice!

[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I'd always pronounced it "where-azz" and I'm not sure I could ever switch to "wares"

[–] Texas_Hangover@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 month ago (2 children)

My best friend back in the day pronounced it WAR-EZ. It was a constant point of contention between us.

[–] burgersc12@mander.xyz 3 points 1 month ago

I think War-ez sounds cool

[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

Sounds like your best friend is me! Surprise!

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Hah! So I'm not the only one!

[–] Absaroka@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I enjoy that they're focusing on 'promoting pirated software and game cheats' before talking about malware first.

Cybersecurity ethusiast Karol Paciorek who spotted the playlist said, "cybercriminals exploit Spotify for malware distribution. Why? Spotify has a strong reputation and its pages are easily indexed by search engines, making it an effective platform to promote malicious links."

That's a very different, more helpful story. "Watch out, Spotify links are being used to distribute malware to your computer."

When abusing platforms, spammers and scammers leave no stone unturned to promote their agenda.

Money. They aren't doing this as part of a 'peons of the world unite to steal software' scheme. They're doing it to generate traffic so they make more ad revenue.

[–] Jarix@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Imagine how much healthier things would be if ads were illegal and using them was punishable by having your business auctioned off and the proceeds going to free legal services for the bottom 50% of society

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 6 points 1 month ago

Malware is the issue, I don't see any issue with libre content being promoted to the plebs.

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 month ago

TIL game cheats is a category of deplorable that belongs with pirates sofware and warez.

I remember looking on line to unlock game cheats for Saints Row IV specifically to turn off the downstage pixellation effect and found that this was the most common SR4 cheat in use.

[–] Engywuck@lemm.ee 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch 2 points 1 month ago

Yeah, this is more funny than anything. Very creative problem-solving on their part.

[–] Yerbouti@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago

Spotify's business model is abusing artists .