Pirated copies of the recently released film “The Odyssey” have become a lure for distributing malware designed to steal cryptocurrency and other sensitive data. Cybersecurity analysts at Bitdefender discovered fake versions of the movie circulating online, disguised as high-quality WEBRip and Blu-ray releases. Instead of a movie, however, users are actually downloading Windows executable files that install Lumma Stealer — malware specifically designed to steal sensitive information.
The attackers use filenames resembling legitimate torrent releases and give the files icons that look like VLC Media Player or ordinary video files, making it harder for users to notice anything suspicious. They also take advantage of the fact that Windows hides file extensions by default. As a result, a file with an .exe extension can appear to be an ordinary video file, tricking users into launching malware while believing they are opening a movie.
Once launched, Lumma Stealer begins collecting browser data, saved passwords, payment information, autofill data, remote-access credentials and information about cryptocurrency wallets. Stolen authentication cookies are particularly dangerous. They can allow attackers to hijack active sessions and gain access to victims’ accounts even when two-factor authentication is enabled.
According to Bitdefender, the malicious files appeared online just days after the film’s release. The company’s security systems blocked the downloads and identified domains associated with the attackers’ command-and-control infrastructure. However, the technique itself is far from new: in 2025, Lumma Stealer was distributed through fake copies of “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” in a very similar campaign.
Such attacks are becoming increasingly common. Criminals hide malware not only inside pirated movies, but also in game modifications, mobile applications, wallpapers and even software libraries used by developers. The principle is always the same: malicious code is disguised as something the victim genuinely wants to download.
Experts recommend avoiding movies and software from suspicious sources, never running an .exe file presented as a video, and enabling file-extension display in Windows. Sometimes spending an extra second checking those three letters after the dot can be far cheaper than losing an entire cryptocurrency wallet.
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