Pirate IPTV: several providers are under attack and extortion!

Pirated IPTV providers and their distributors have been the target of hacking, or improper access to your computer systems, in addition to extortion. As the publication advances Torrentfreak, several responsible for IPTV platforms have been blackmailed, demanding large payments in bitcoin.

Furthermore, the extorted payment does not always correspond to a cessation of hostilities, with hackers threatening to expose the databases of subscribers to pirated IPTV channel lists. Thickening the plot, some accuse the hacker to be an interested party and involved in a company that provides security software solutions, something that the company itself denies.

Attacks and hacking to pirated IPTV platforms

Pirate IPTV providers and associated services like distributing IPTV channel lists tend to operate underground and are rarely portrayed as victims. They are people and entities who are very cautious in their operations, keeping themselves wrapped in a cloak of secrecy to protect their identities and their customers.

With the exception of the legal spotlight that exposes the names of the entities involved when they are accused of their illegal practices, it is rare to report the exposure of an IPTV network. When this happens, it is usually synonymous with investigations and litigations.

This would change when several groups and IPTV platforms started to be selected by a hacker in particular.

The Helix and PrimeStreams platforms were the most targeted

The attacks will have started in mid-2019, when two instances were registered against the Helix and PrimeStreams platforms. Helix Hosting officials have been notified of the possibility of paying a “small fee” to avoid exposing bank details and personal details of subscribers to the pirated IPTV platform.

Furthermore, the hacker threatened the platform that it would expose the personal details of at least one member of the team, the staff that manages the platform. He claimed to have access to the telephone number, physical address, IP, name, among other sensitive personal data.

This was the first attack on Helix, but the hacker was far from content with a single target.

A few days later, PrimeStreams, another of the most popular pirate IPTV platforms, would turn. The attack came from the same person who, again, asked for a ransom to be paid in bitcoin, to prevent the details of consumers from being exposed.

The “symbolic” amount consisted of the equivalent of $ 70,000, but the attacks did not end there. The same hacker targeted other Pirate IPTV platforms, always using the same extortion method, varying only in amounts.

O hacker it would assess the platform size and expected number of subscribers to adjust the requirements. It should also be noted that a large part of these instances have been hidden from the public since the platforms are largely secretive.

Attacks and extortion on various IPTV platforms

In the face of a wave of attacks and extortion attempts, those responsible for several IPTV platforms began to suspect that these threats came from one place. In other words, they came to the conclusion that they were blackmailed by the same person.

It was not long before one and the other platform pointed the finger at the provider of the billing software used by several of those same IPTV platforms. More specifically, they accused WHMCS Smarters, itself an IPTV platform, but also responsible for the development of the billing service used by several competitors. This would be part of the problem.

More than 50 IPTV providers will have been affected

However, through the community dedicated to IPTV on Reddit we would have access to more information. There, one of the moderators would add his testimony to these theories, in addition to increasing concerns about the exposure of subscriber data.

“Over the past several years, several IPTV providers have been hacked by someone who exploited the WHMCS Smarters billing system. Some of the biggest providers have paid up to $ 70,000 to keep their data and that of their subscribers private. “, says the moderator.

“The hacker targeted at least 50 other platforms and IPTV providers, possibly even more, with many preferring to cover up the case. In all cases, a ransom was requested, payable in Bitcoin“adds the community moderator on Reddit.

According to this source, the hacker it will have damaged part of the website and platform infrastructure to put more pressure on those responsible and increase the chances of success in your scheme. However, victims could not simply resort to justice and the means traditionally available and to protect legal activities.

Without the possibility of asking for assistance, those responsible for various platforms will have ended up meeting the requirements of the hacker, yielding to extortion. Such practices will have continued during 2020, calming more recently.

The hacker returned to target IPTV platforms

Despite having decreased its activity in recent months, according to the new testimonies, this hacker is once again threatening IPTV providers. Something that motivated several members of the community dedicated to IPTV to join efforts to try to gather more information about the individual, besides launching the alert.

“He knows the intricacies of IPTV well and has privileged information that few would have access to. But the most important thing is this – he knows the Smarters system better than so many others.

The involvement of the hacker however, with the Smarters billing system, it is quite disputed, without solid evidence to prove it. So far, apart from the causal relationship, apart from suspicions and allegations, there is nothing else.

Data from IPTV subscribers may end up exposed

The real risk for the IPTV Pirate user is the exposure of their data on the Internet. If hacker so decide, if the IPTV platform refuses the requirements, or if you comply with them and even then the hacker has other plans. This is the real risk of exposure to potentially sensitive information.

With the accumulation of complaints on the Reddit platform dedicated to this area and calls for not paying this hacker, it may be a matter of time before it takes extreme action. There are no guarantees given by these illegal operations and, in the clash between two clandestine forces, it is likely that the common user will be the most affected party.

Be alert to potential users of these services.

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