Who is behind the theft of many famous Vietnamese YouTube accounts?

On the morning of April 2, Gamer Do Mixi - real name Phung Thanh Do suddenly announced on his personal group that his YouTube channel "Mixigaming" which has more than 7.3 million followers was hacked.

When accessing this Youtube channel, the videos posted by Do Mixi were all hidden. Instead, the hacker changed the channel name to Ripple, the cover photo and profile picture of the channel were also changed. Accessing the videos on the channel were all directed to a completely different channel with videos about foreign cryptocurrencies.

This channel even broadcasts live with images in fake livestream videos cut from interviews and podcasts of Mr. Brad Garlinghouse - CEO of Ripple.

On the evening of April 2, Quang Linh Vlog shared on social media that his YouTube channel with 3.8 million followers was hacked and taken over by hackers.

As of the morning of April 3, only Quang Linh Vlog's channel has regained access. Meanwhile, Do Mixi is trying to get his YouTube channel back.

Two YouTube channels with millions of views were hacked on the same day

Like Do Mixi, Quang Linh Vlog's Youtube channel was also renamed and broadcast content related to Ripple cryptocurrency.

Although they happened on the same day, the two YouTube hacks have a lot in common. Both channels were hacked by content creators who regularly broadcast live on social media.

According to analysis in the video of streamer Viruss, if the streamer is careless during the live stream, bad guys can use some supporting software to find a way to take control.

Both hacked YouTube channels were renamed to Ripple, a cryptocurrency, raising questions about whether Ripple was behind the theft.

This action may be part of a cryptocurrency promotion campaign by an organization. Instead of developing their own channels to promote, they chose to hijack famous people's YouTube channels to take advantage of their interactions and influence in advertising.

Before Do Mixi and Quang Linh Vlog, many Vietnamese Youtube channels with millions of followers such as FAPTV, Tran Thanh, Ho Quang Hieu, and Ly Hai also had their accounts stolen. These channels were then used by cyber attackers to promote virtual currency or products of foreign origin.

These attacks also serve as a warning to other content creators to avoid becoming the next victim.

What is Ripple cryptocurrency?

According to Forbes, Ripple is the company behind the XRP cryptocurrency. Ripple or Ripple Labs is a blockchain technology company founded in 2012 in San Francisco, California, USA. This is one of the first generation companies in the Blockchain industry.

The company develops a real-time gross settlement system (RTGS) with the aim of becoming a fast, convenient and international payment network for banks and financial institutions.

Ripple Labs is also responsible for managing and developing XRP on the XRP Ledger, a digital currency that acts as a bridge currency, supporting the exchange of fiat and digital currencies for financial institutions at a cost-effective price.

After 7 years of development, XRP has been supported for trading on 48 different large and small exchanges. Many investors also consider XRP a potential digital currency. However, in 2020, the company was sued by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for illegally selling $1.3 billion worth of XRP.

However, the reason why an early blockchain company in the US was involved in the Youtube hack of Vietnamese Youtubers is still unclear.