When we think about Spotify, it’s hard to imagine any use for it other than listening to music or podcasts. After all, that is its reason for being. But some cybercriminals have found in this popular streaming platform a new way to distribute unlicensed software and other types of illicit content.
We are talking about a discovery by Karol Paciorek. The cybersecurity expert explains in a post on X that malicious actors are exploiting Spotify’s playlist and podcast features because its pages tend to be easily indexed by search engines like Google.
Using Spotify’s reputation to distribute unlicensed software
Unlike in the past, sites that contain or link to illegal software do not usually appear in search results. This is because search engines have tightened their policies against illegal contentmainly to comply with current copyright laws.
Measures to protect users have become a problem for cybercriminals, who find it increasingly difficult to distribute unlicensed software, activators and spam. But as we have said on other occasions, these individuals never rest and look for alternatives to achieve their goals.
Playlist with illegal software on Spotify | Image: Karol Paciorek
Spotify, as a legal service and as one of the most important streaming platforms in the world, has a very good reputation before search engines. This feature is leading some cybercriminals to create public playlists that link to external sites containing illegal software and other content.
Playlists with illegal software in Google results
“Sony Vegas Pro13 Crack Free Download 2024”, we can see in a screenshot shared by Paciorek about a playlist about illegal software. Cybercriminals have achieved part of their mission, since we have verified that some of these lists have been indexed by Google.
We are facing a type of practice that comes accompanied by several risks. Spotify users could encounter these playlists created by cybercriminals that open the door to spam, malware and other types of cybersecurity threats that can cause more than one headache.
Since using playlists to share or promote illicit software is prohibited by Spotify rules, the platform has been removing playlists with suspicious content following Paciorek’s findings. We have to wait to find out if the company will take additional measures to address these practices.
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