Hackers exploit Adobe Flash, IE browser to target porn surfers

SAN FRANCISCO: A hacker group is targeting porn surfers running vulnerable and older versions of Adobe Flash Player and Internet Explorer (IE) on their computers as the attackers have infected "practically all adult networks" with malware on the web.

The hacking group dubbed Malsmoke has infected popular porn sites with malicious ads, using them to attack victims with malware, according to researchers from the cyber security firm Malwarebytes.

Most exploit kits are built around vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash and Internet Explorer as most internet users have now either uninstalled Flash or moved to Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

"Despite recommendations from Microsoft and security professionals, we can only witness that there are still a number of users (consumer and enterprise) worldwide that have yet to migrate to a modern and fully supported browser," Malwarebytes said in its report.

Once a victim clicks a malicious ad, they are redirected to a page that attempts to start downloading malware if it can exploit vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer or Adobe Flash.

Microsoft has announced to end support for Adobe Flash Player on Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11 at the end of 2020. (IANS)

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