Vevo hacker targets music videos by Taylor Swift and Drake as Despacito is deleted

Despacito was pulled offline just as it hit five billion views
Reputation: Videos by Swift, Drake and Adele were among those affected
AFP/Getty Images
Safeeyah Kazi10 April 2018
The Weekender

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Vevo was targeted by a hacker who wiped music videos by artists including Taylor Swift and Drake from the site.

High-profile music videos which were featured on Vevo’s YouTube channel were wiped including Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s Despacito which recently broke the record for the most viewed video with five billion hits.

The video temporarily disappeared from the site and had its thumbnail image replaced by a photograph of a masked gang holding gangs.

The hackers, who called themselves Prosox and Kuroi’sh replaced the video’s description with: “Free Palestine.”

Other videos impacted included Adele, Katy Perry and Eminem.

Prosox, who claimed they did not delete Despacito, tweeted Vevo suggesting that their security protections were inadequate.

Prosox wrote: “You have all my respect but do not leave the control to your site to any developer did not take into account this hacking it was a fun if we would like to harm your customers we would delete all the video but I did not delete Despacito must believe me (sic).”

Targetted: Swift's videos were among those reportedly affected by the hack
Getty Images for iHeartMedia

It is believed the hack did not happen through YouTube itself, but instead appeared to be localised to Vevo and their accounts.

A spokesman for Vevo said: “Vevo can confirm that a number of videos in its catalogue were subject to a security breach today, which has now been contained.

“We are working to reinstate all videos affected and our catalogue to be restored to full working order. We are continuing to investigate the source of the breach.”

Despacito has since been re-uploaded online with its view count intact.

Earlier this month the hackers boasted on Twitter that they had “compromised” NASA, questioning where their security was and appearing to post screenshots of the hack.

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