Trojan horse alert: Pirated online versions of 'The Odyssey' could contain hidden viruses

Desperate to watch The Odyssey for free? Pirated copies are already spreading malware capable of raiding your passwords, payment details and more. Pirated digital copies of the blockbuster film The Odyssey are being used to hack into viewers' computers, according to new research by cybersecurity company Bitdefender. "Internal Bitdefender insights show that users have already tried to download malicious executables disguised as the movie," the multinational cybersecurity firm said in a statement. The Odyssey has not yet been released online, while IMAX screenings remain sold out widely for weeks ahead in many locations. "Only days after The Odyssey became one of the biggest movie launches of the year, cybersecurity researchers have already observed fake pirated copies distributing the Lumma Stealer malware," the statement continued. This raises significant cybersecurity concerns, as it could allow online attackers to gain access to thousands of consumers' laptops, particularly as several illegal sites present files posing as legitimate video downloads of the film. In many cases, however, these files are actually concealed versions of malware known as "Lumma Stealer," which infects viewers' devices when opened. Developed in Russia, Lumma Stealer is believed to be capable of stealing sensitive information, including saved login and payment credentials, session cookies, browsing history, remote access tools and communication apps, as well as any other documents or files saved locally on the device. By accessing such a vast range of data and tools, attackers can gain significant entry and control not only over a user's device, but also their finances and wider relationships. Illegal movie copies being used for hacking While this latest campaign involving The Odyssey may be alarming, it is only the latest in a long trend of popular films being used to spread hacking tools and malware. Hackers typically exploit the window between a film's cinema release and its arrival on legal streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. Bitdefender identified several lure file names circulating online, including: - the odyssey 2160phd (2026) engsubs eztv.exe - the odyssey 2026 1080p h264-djt.exe - the odyssey 2026 1080p webrip-lama.exe Despite promising a film download, these are in fact Windows executables designed to infect a victim's device rather than play any video. Bitdefender cautioned that this list is not exhaustive, and that criminals are likely using many other file names, too. This is not a new technique. In 2025, researchers documented an almost identical campaign abusing fake downloads of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, in which attackers distributed Lumma Stealer through torrent websites using files disguised as movie releases. "The latest campaign simply replaces one blockbuster with another. Rather than inventing new attacks, criminals continually recycle successful delivery methods around whatever film is dominating search engines and torrent sites," the report said. Torrent trackers are chock-full of this type of malware. Popular movies are not the only target for Lumma and other stealers — the same goes for TV shows, cracked games and software. This trend is made worse by the fact that people may be less vigilant about checking file types and names on these kinds of websites, since they already know the content is illegal and may expect to see unusual file names. To avoid these threats, Bitdefender emphasised the importance of watching films only through recognised and legitimate streaming services, while also keeping cybersecurity software and computer systems up-to-date.