Woburn, MA – April 20, 2020 – Kaspersky researchers found that malicious files were hidden within tracks appearing to come from some of the world’s most popular DJs.

The coronavirus pandemic has significantly affected the electronic music industry. As major music events like Coachella, Ultra, SXSW, Glastonbury, and Time Warp have either been cancelled or postponed, some famous artists are moving online to streaming services like Facebook Live, YouTube and even Twitch. Ultra music festival, previously scheduled for March 23, migrated online, announcing a weekend of live music broadcasts.

However, users should use caution if these streams inspire them to download any of the tracks they hear. Kaspersky researchers found thousands of malicious files hidden within tracks purportedly from global superstars like David Guetta and Calvin Harris.

Analysis of the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs list, conducted by Kaspersky researchers, revealed that David Guetta, Alan Walker, DJ Snake, Calvin Harris and Martin Garrix are the most commonly used names by cybercriminals to spread malicious files by capitalizing on the interests of electronic music fans.

These files contained a range of threats, including adware and malicious Trojans, used to destroy, block, modify, or copy data, or to disrupt the performance of computers or networks.

Chart 1. Unique malicious files using DJ names detected by Kaspersky products

“People have started to spend more time at home, and therefore consume more content,” said Anton Ivanov, Kaspersky security analyst. “Listening to streaming or online services does not harm electronic music fans, but they should be cautious if they want to download their favorite songs to their devices. As our research shows, malware can often be hidden behind such files, so people need to take additional measures to safeguard themselves from possible threats.”

Kaspersky products detected malicious files with these detection names:

• HEUR:Trojan.Script.Generic:
• UDS:DangerousObject.Multi.Generic
• Win32.Agentb.bqyr
• not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.AndroidOS.Agent.f
• HEUR:Trojan.Win32.Generic

In order to safely listen to your favorite electronic artists, Kaspersky recommends taking the following steps:

• Double check artists’ latest releases and pay attention to the names of tracks and mixes. If the name of the file seems suspicious to you, or you never heard of the song, do not download it.
• Try to download music from trusted sources for offline listening, such as Spotify or Audiomack.
• Use a reliable security solution, such as Kaspersky Security Cloud, for comprehensive protection from a wide range of threats.