Big name TikTok accounts hijacked after opening DM


High profile TikTok accounts, including CNN, Sony, and—er­—Paris Hilton have been targeted in a recent attack.

CNN was the first account takeover that made the news, with Semafor reporting that the account was down for several days after the incident. According to Forbes, the attack happens without the account owner needing to click on or open anything—known as a zero-click attack. All they need to do is open a DM. The account is then taken over and the user loses access.

Read more…
Source: Malwarebytes Labs


Sign up for our Newsletter


Related:

  • Meta is back in the courtroom to face its biggest social media addiction trial yet

    August 19, 2026

    Meta’s business relies on hooking young people and exploiting their data and attention, a lawyer for a group of state attorneys general argued in opening statements for the latest blockbuster trial against the social media giant on Tuesday. The trial could be Meta’s most consequential legal fight yet over youth safety and addiction. If Meta loses ...

  • Wetherspoons bars smart glasses from filming customers

    August 10, 2026

    Wetherspoons has stopped short of banning Meta-style smart glasses from its pubs, but told The Register that customers should switch off their cameras and refrain from filming. “Like many hospitality companies, Wetherspoon has CCTV cameras for security reasons, but their use is strictly controlled by data legislation,” a spokesperson said. “Apart from that, the general code that applies in ...

  • Durov’s bank accounts frozen after terrorist tag applied

    July 30, 2026

    Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov will not be able to access his bank accounts in Russia after placement on the list of terrorists by financial watchdog Rosfinmonitoring earlier on Thursday, lawyer Dmitry Agranovsky told TASS. Since 2022, Russia has recorded 153,000 crimes committed using Telegram, including the organization of a terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall, ...

  • Verified X ad spreads Mac malware, while ConsentFix steals Microsoft accounts

    July 3, 2026

    Cybercriminals are finding new ways to trick people into compromising their own devices and accounts. One campaign used a sponsored ad on X to target Mac users, while another technique, dubbed ConsentFix, steals Microsoft 365 accounts without installing malware. Researchers have discovered a ClickFix-style attack running as a sponsored advertisement on X. The ad was posted from a ...

  • How will the UK ban on social media for under 16s work?

    June 15, 2026

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would impose a ban on social media sites for children under 16 and restrictions on gaming and livestreaming ​platforms to “give kids their childhood back”. The government said it would block children using social media platforms whose purpose ​is to enable user-to-user social interaction and  which allow users to post ​material ...

  • Free Spotify Premium hacks on social media are spreading infostealers

    June 10, 2026

    Short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels have become the latest way cybercriminals spread malware. We’ve already seen attackers move away from traditional phishing emails and toward tactics that trick people into installing malware themselves. Now they’re being lured with slick social media videos that promise free Spotify Premium, free Windows activation, or free Microsoft Office, but ...