My sister recently visited a website called 'Cinema Deck' to watch movies for free. Suddenly, her printer—which is connected to our Wi-Fi—began printing multiple inappropriate and disturbing images by itself. One of the prints had a message suggesting to contact 'Mail @org.horsefxkker for security tips.' We were completely baffled as the printer was operating autonomously. Concerned that someone might have accessed our home network or her computer, we've unplugged the printer, disconnected it from Wi-Fi, and planned to run virus scans using Malwarebytes and Windows Defender. However, we're unsure if our entire network is compromised or if this was just a simple case of malware from the movie site. I'm freaking out a bit, especially since I recommended that site to her! I've been using it for over a year without issues, but I do use an adblocker, as does she. What should we do next?
4 Answers
If she thought she needed to install any software to watch the movie, that could be where she got in trouble. Those kinds of sites often trick users into downloading malware disguised as necessary programs. Encourage her to stick with legitimate streaming services in the future; it’s safer!
Don't panic just yet! I doubt just visiting a site would let a virus print something without downloading anything shady first. Could it be a prank from someone in your house or even a neighbor? If you're worried it's malware, run your scans first and maybe change your Wi-Fi password as a precaution.
It might be worth checking if someone else is connected to your Wi-Fi and messing with the printer for fun. Try disconnecting your modem for a bit or changing your network details. This could eliminate any unauthorized access.
It's pretty strange that a website could make your printer print on its own without any confirmation. Usually, you’d have to manually allow a print job to happen. If that’s not the case, your sister may have caught some malware. Web browsers can be vulnerable, especially if they're outdated, so just visiting a malicious site could infect the system. Keeping the printer unplugged and doing a thorough virus scan is a good first step.
She insists she didn’t click on anything or download anything during her movie time. All she did was click 'watch movie'. This whole situation is stressing her out, especially since she has an important job that requires a lot of privacy.