Trend™ Research uncovered a campaign on TikTok that uses videos to lure victims into downloading information stealers, a tactic that can be automated using AI tools.

• Trend Research uncovered a new social engineering campaign using TikTok to deliver the Vidar and StealC information stealers. This attack uses videos (possibly AI-generated) to instruct users to execute PowerShell commands, which are disguised as software activation steps.
• TikTok’s algorithmic reach increases the likelihood of widespread exposure, with one video reaching more than half a million views. Businesses can be affected by data exfiltration, credential theft, and potential compromise of sensitive systems as a result of this threat.
• Reinforcing security awareness, especially against AI-generated content, is crucial. Monitoring for unusual command execution involving PowerShell or other system utilities also helps identify malicious activity early.
• Trend Vision One™ detects and blocks the IOCs discussed in this blog. rend Vision One customers can also access hunting queries, threat insights, and threat intelligence reports to gain rich context and the latest updates on this campaign
  Trend Research has uncovered a novel social engineering campaign using TikTok’s vast user base to distribute information-stealing malware, specifically Vidar and StealC. Unlike the prevalent Fake CAPTCHA campaign — which relies on fake CAPTCHA pages and clipboard hijacking to trick users into running malicious scripts — this new campaign pivots to exploiting the popularity and viral nature of TikTok.

Threat actors are now using TikTok videos that are potentially generated using AI-powered tools to socially engineer users into executing PowerShell commands under the guise of guiding them to activate legitimate software or unlock premium features. This campaign highlights how attackers are ready to weaponize whichever social media platforms are currently popular to distribute malware.
This report details the observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), indicators of compromise (IoCs), and the potential impact of this trend.