USERS of illegally modified Fire Sticks and other gadgets used to stream premium TV on the cheap have been warned of a sinister danger that could be lurking in the background.
Police have undertaken a huge crackdown on illegal streaming of Sky channels and Premier League games this past year.
Last month, a huge operation spanning multiple European countries saw the closure of a network used by 22million people.
Five addresses in the UK were raided as part of the effort against piracy.
One hundred domains have been taken offline as a result.
Illegal streaming platforms often have ties to organised crime.
While much of the police action has targeted distributors, experts have repeatedly warned that users risk being hit by devastating consequences.
Illegal streaming networks can be a hive of malware that could allow cyber criminals to raid your accounts.
Crooks may even be able to hack your home network and spy on webcams without your knowledge.
Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET told The Sun: "Although tempting, dodgy Fire Sticks loaded with unauthorised apps can pose unknown risks to those using them and the devices they are plugged in to.
"These devices have been known to be shipped with malware that is designed to steal your personal data or allow hackers to roam around your home network - or even take control of your webcams."
He also warned that unauthorised apps lack regular updates which can leave users exposed to other vulnerabilities and lacking any given extras.
Jake added: "Dodgy software can sometimes be packed with strange bugs which can cause Fire Sticks to randomly freeze or crash.
"But finally, as streaming pirated content breaches copyright law, there are legal consequences to be mindful of and if caught, can result in a fine."
Illegal streaming can be delivered by a number of devices by one of the most common are 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks, which means a third-party media server software has been installed on to it.
The software most commonly used is called Kodi.
It can grant users unrestricted access to new features and apps the normal version of the device wouldn't allow – but it is not legal to use in the UK.
But it becomes illegal when a box is used to stream subscription channels for free.
It is also illegal to buy or sell these modified devices which have become known as "fully-loaded" - a term that describes how the software has been altered to allow access to subscription-only channels.
“These devices are legal when used to watch legitimate, free to air, content,” the government said at the time.
“They become illegal once they are adapted to stream illicit content, for example TV programmes, films and subscription sports channels without paying the appropriate subscriptions.”
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