Down loading YouTube can contains spyware?

I read recently somewhere (I read a lot of stuff) about a warning that spyware is now imbedded in some YouTube downloads and that the anti-spyware software is still in the process of addressing.

Is this for real?

Is playing a YouTube video that someone includes in an email or on the actual site the same as "downloading" or do you actually have to do a Save?

thanks

 

It is the bogus Flash Player that people are being prompted to download, malicious emails and phished websites (looks like YouTube) that are the problem.
Check these links from TrendMicro on this.
http://blog.trendmicro.com/new-youtube-spam-dresses-malware-as-****/
http://blog.trendmicro.com/youtube-addicts-beware/
http://blog.trendmicro.com/info-stealer-trojan-arrives-with-news-of-nardoni-case/

 

ok, thanks for the quick reply.

Rob

 

You tube videos have never been found carrying any such viruses for me at least. As far as the flash player goes well it has also served me well over the last few months and I do not think it has caused any harm to my PC either. Maybe its the sites where people go for such downloads can invite virus related problems so we need to adopt caution while visiting unauthentic places.

 

For clarity here, the only way YouTube style videos have been known to 'carry' malware is by tricking users into installing a (usually)codec file. 99.9999 % of legit sites will never ask you to install anything to view its media.

If you happen to come across one that does ask to install something, then run....fast!

Social engineering is the malware authors pot of gold. People seem to lose their wits once they sit in front of the PC. If people would think smart even half the time, malware authors wouldn't be making the kind of money they currently make.

 

thanks, TeMerc