Security Firm exposes Unauthorized YouTube adverts affecting PCs when viewed

Youtube, world’s leading video sharing site has been hit by two programmes which are found to be placing ads into the site without permission. Investigations by a security firm spider.io revealed promotions of some videos through these ads. However, some users reported ads directing towards some malware.

One of the California’s firm: Sambreel is believed to be involved in it, however, there are no confirmed reports on its involvement and didn’t come up with any answer. Following up to this news, two of the Youtube downloading products: Best Video Downloader and Easy YouTube Downloader were suspended.

The shocking factor of this news was the fact that all ad spaces were sold to few of the world’s leading brands which include: Amazon, Blackberry, Kellog and Toyota. However, it is unlikely that these firms could have any idea about it. In actual these ad spaces were belonging to malvertisers.

This program works in a systematic manner first it shows alerts to the Youtube users to install java update for better results. As soon as users click on to update, he/she is taken to some disreputable site. However, these alerts are only shown when a user has installed some malicious add-ons which are key for these advertisements to be injected into user’s youtube home page and other page belonging.

Users without these plugins are less likely to be affected through this malvertising. The security firm spider.io believes there are about 3.5 million users who are having these plugins installed. Youtube terms of services ban the users from downloading any video clips and just allows simple streaming.

Google is now inspecting all the programmes that are affecting its users. Anyone found of doing it is banned from using any of the Google’s monetization and marketing tools. As far as Sambreel is concerned it’s not the first time  when the firm is accused. Last year, PaidContent reported Sambreel on launching programmes on the site which offered special deals and promised to customise web pages. These deals allowed the publishers to put their ads to what smabreel served. Sambreel also sued facebook on some advertising matter, but, the court gave the decision in favour of facebook.

Follow @HackRead