Technology
Research links pirated streaming devices to residential proxy networks
Security firm Plume reports that SuperBox and similar media players host malware routing unauthorized cyberattack traffic through home networks.
The short version
- Security firm Plume released research showing that pirated streaming devices like SuperBox are targeted by malware to create residential proxy networks.
- These proxy networks allow remote attackers to route malicious online traffic through home internet connections, concealing their activities behind legitimate IP addresses.
- Plume warned that dozens of comparable streaming media devices present the same security risks.
Key facts
- Cybersecurity firm Plume published research detailing malware that targets SuperBox streaming devices and converts them into residential proxy networks.[Ars Technica]
- Residential proxy networks allow malicious actors to hide cyberattacks behind consumer IP addresses with good reputations.[Ars Technica]
- Remote attackers can install malicious applications on these streaming devices even when the hardware is protected behind a router.[Ars Technica]
- Plume stated that dozens of similar media players offering pirated movies and TV shows carry the same vulnerability risks as SuperBox.[Ars Technica]
What remains uncertain
- The total number of affected consumer devices and the full identity list of all compromised media streaming models remain unspecified.[Ars Technica]