Cybercriminals have been using AI-generated videos on TikTok to deceive users into downloading malware onto their devices, according to cybersecurity firm Trend Micro.
These deceptive clips promise users free versions of popular software like Windows, Microsoft Office, or premium features in well-known apps such as CapCut and Spotify.
The scammers instructed viewers to run simple PowerShell commands on their computers—commands that seemed like part of a legitimate activation process, but were actually used to install malicious software like Vidar and StealC, as reported by tech outlet Mashable, and cited by Al Arabiya Business.
Some of these TikTok videos reportedly gained hundreds of thousands of views, according to cybersecurity news site BleepingComputer.
Trend Micro clarified that the videos themselves didn’t contain any malware, which makes them difficult for TikTok’s moderation systems to detect and remove. Instead, the malicious steps were visually and audibly presented within the content.
The firm added that cybercriminals are using these tactics specifically to bypass existing detection systems, making such campaigns harder to trace and shut down.
TikTok declined to comment on this specific threat. However, a company spokesperson told Mashable that the accounts involved in the campaign have already been deactivated.
Source: Al Arabiya