Kodi users warned as serious new threat uncovered - but there's a simple way to avoid

[Len]

KODI users are being warned about a new cyber threat to the TV player but there is a very easy way to avoid being targeted by malware.

With Kodi now in millions of homes it may not come as a surprise to hear that it’s caught the attention of cyber criminals.

Kodi is totally legal but many of its biggest fans use the popular online player to access premium programming, such as football and movies, without paying for a subscription.

With so many people searching for this type of illegal content it appears this has become an easy way for criminals to install malicious threats on devices that are running the Kodi software.

According to a recent report by Cyberscoop, it seems this is growing problem with one expert revealing that Kodi enabled malware is being sold on the dark web.

Speaking at the 2018 RSA conference Kurtis Minder, CEO of security firm GroupSense, said that their research had discovered malware specifically targeted at Kodi.

“So we started our research on this about two months ago and we were looking at what the attack footprint would be for malware on the media that would show up on any given Kodi box," said Minder.

“There’s several marketplaces that we found in the dark web where people are selling malware enable media.

“The delivery mechanism appears to be two primary ways, it’s the Kodi platform itself which means what you load it on could be an attack vector and the other one is the streaming itself.

“This is part of the problem with the ecosystem of Kodi.

“So Kodi takes no responsibility for the content that you are streaming they are just giving you the means to grab it.

“Unlike an iPhone where Apple takes responsibility for the apps you load, Kodi takes no responsibility for these streaming files.”

According to GroupSense, this malware has the capability to take over some of the components within the device the software is loaded on.

Although not confirmed hackers may be able to use this technic to snoop on users or launch devastating attacks.

The simple advice from GroupSense on how to minimise the dangers is to be careful where content is coming from to avoid any risks of being infected with this type of malware.

The news of this latest risks comes after users in the UK were also recently warned about the dangers of using players such as Kodi.

Anti-piracy group FACT said a quarter of Britons have accessed digital material illegally, and that comes with “high” risks.

Besides the threat of 10 years in jail thanks to the new Digital Economy Act, a recent report said users are opening themselves up to other serious threats.

Kieron Sharp, Director General at FACT, said: “This report has come at a crucial time in our fight against digital piracy.

“A quarter of Brits access digital material illegally, and often don’t realise the risks associated with that, for them and their families.

“Pirates are not Robin Hood characters; they are criminals who do it to make money through illicit means.

“As a result, the risks are high – inappropriate advertising that could be seen by young children, electrical safety associated with counterfeit parts, and financial cyber crime.”