KickAss Torrents, one of the most popular torrenting sites with over 332 million daily visitors, has been attacked by hackers. According to a report from the IBTimes, visitors trying to access the page have been receiving a pop-up that warns them their computer and personal information has been compromised.
The pop-up ad is similar to the "Blue Screen of Death" that often appears on a PC when the Windows OS has failed to properly load or function. A similar type of screen has also appeared before on Mac and older iPhone models. When this occurs, the only option for a user is to replace their operating system, a process which would delete all their computer's data.
However, the report cites that the information displayed by the ad is false. It says that the scheme is merely being used by hackers to gain remote access to their computer as a means to gather an unwary user's vital information such as their credit card information and banking information.
The report explains that the ad suggests users to download a specific file or app. According to the IBTimes, this is a common method used by remote access hackers. The malicious file, once downloaded, will grant the hacker access to a person's computer, allowing them to view photos, documents, and other vital files.
According to a report from The Register, the malicious ad is tied to a Who-Is-protected domain good-karma.info, which is located in Panama. The report also cites that the area is home to numerous other online scams.
A representative from The Register also attempted to call the customer service number listed in the malicious ad and was advised by the other end, who claimed to be a technical support team member, to simply download the malicious software. The operator dropped the call after the The Register's representative stated that they were aware of the scam.
