Cybercriminals are banking on the massive hype around Netflix's new South Korean drama Squid Game, using it as a lure to entice fans to download malicious software.
Cybersecurity firm Proofpoint has uncovered a viral email in which the hackers pretend to be associated with Netflix and promise to provide customers with early access to a new season of Squid Game.
The emails then attempt to solicit actors and "background talent" to star in the show, by having them fill out an attached document for "background casting".
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Attached to the email is an Excel document, which contains code that will automatically download a prolific banking trojan (a type of virus that is disguised as a real program).
Proofpoint's security experts traced the source of the cybercrime to the code-named "threat actor TA575", who has distributed thousands of these fake emails primarily to users in the United States.
The emails used subject lines such as "Squid Game is back, watch new season before anyone else" and "invite for Customer to access the new season [sic]".
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"Cybercriminal threat actors in general have pounced on Squid Game as a popular lure and malware theme," Proofpoint analysts Axel F and Selena Larson note.
"This makes sense; as Squid Game is Netflix's "biggest ever" series, the pool of potential victims who would inadvertently interact with malicious content associated with it is higher than a general lure theme.
"TA575 is betting the invitation to be part of the upcoming season will entice more users to interact with the malicious Microsoft Excel file."
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Squid Game has been a runaway success for streaming platform Netflix, playing a dominant role in the service adding more than 4.4 million new subscribers in just three months.
It is officially Netflix's biggest-ever show at launch, with over 142 million households having watched the show in its first four weeks.
Users who receive the email are being advised to delete it and to not open or download any attached documents.
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