Spotify turns off ads on free version after malware attacks

MUSIC STREAMING OUTFIT Spotify is investigating malware attacks hitting users of its free service, turning off advertisements while it tries to sort out the problem.

Internet services firm Netcraft said that users of the Spotify free service have been targeted by drive-by malware launched through third-party ads. It said that at least one attack was using a Java exploit to drop malicious executable code.

In a tweet, Spotify wrote, "We've turned off all third party display ads that could have caused it until we find the exact one." And in a later tweet it said, "We're still investigating but we take this very seriously and will take every step possible to ensure it doesn't happen again."

This is a serious issue for Spotify, as the free version of the music streaming service relies on ads for its revenue. It is very popular in the UK and Europe and is looking at the US market hungrily, but this won't help its reputation.

Malvertising as it's called is not new, as hackers know it is a good way of getting your computer dirty. Attackers will insert or modify code in an ad to exploit flaws in web browsers. They will usually exploit these vulnerabilities in a website through, for example, drive-by malware or SQL injection attacks. µ