- Silent Push discovers the IPTV piracy network that covers thousands of domains and addresses worldwide
- The piracy network linked to multiple companies impacts global brands such as Netflix and Disney
- A site has thousands of servers as consumers face fraud and malware risks.
Researchers have discovered a massive network of television protocol.
Silent Push says that the network, which has apparently been active for years, extends to more than 1,000 domains and 10,000 IP addresses.
The analysts said that the operation has affected more than 20 global media brands, including Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, Sky Sports and the Premier League.
Risks of fraud and malware
The network involves several companies known for linking the pirated content.
A site, Jvtvlive, announces access to thousands of channels and films, which claims to operate 2,000 servers in 198 countries. The researchers said the site statements seem precise.
ILICITE IPTV providers often restore legitimate television channels, sell access to premium content to low rates and depend on websites of websites with changing domains and login details.
Silent Push said a site offered “$ 15/month for 22,500 channels and 100,000 films and television programs.”
Although piracy networks benefit largely, consumers often face exposure to fraud and malware risks, resulting in fraudulent credit card charges, data theft and infected devices.
The study pointed out that IPTV networks differ from the general Internet transmission.
IPTV operates in dedicated networks administered by suppliers, while transmission generally uses open internet through applications and services such as Hulu or YouTube TV.
Silent thrust researchers began with a single piracy domain, which was linked to a much broader network.
The researchers were able to create a technical fingerprint that connects this first service to more than 10,000 IP addresses and 1,100 domains.
The analysts said that much of the content seems without a license, although the final confirmation would require responses of each affected brand, which is a gigantic task itself.
However, so far no evidence of legitimate licenses arrangements has been found so far.
The investigation was presented before a web seminar planned on September 23 called “Stop the Piracy Distribution Networks on scale.”