Vevo confirms hackers pulled down most-viewed video from YouTube

Online video-hosting service Vevo confirmed that a number of its popular music videos were targeted by hackers, causing the most-viewed piece of content on YouTube to be pulled offline.

The image for the link leading to the music video for Luis Fonsi’s hit song “Despacito” was temporarily replaced with one showing a group of hooded, masked individuals pointing guns at the camera. The video, which has been viewed over five billion times, has since reappeared on Fonsi’s Vevo-linked YouTube account.

“We are continuing to investigate the source of the breach,” spokesperson Anthi Pantelidis said in an email. “We are working to reinstate all videos affected and (for) our catalogue to be restored to full working order.”

Hackers calling themselves Prosox and Kuroi'SH took to Twitter on Tuesday to brag about the disruption to Google’s popular video-sharing platform.

“Its just for fun i just use script ‘youtube-change-title-video’ and i write "hacked" don t judge me i love youtube <3,” wrote a user called Prosox.

A self-described security researcher called Kuroi'SH tweeted that artists including Shakira, Adele and Post Malone have also been targeted.

Many of the affected videos are uploaded to Vevo YouTube accounts. Vevo is a video hosting service owned by a trio of major music labels.

Videos by Canadian rapper Drake and Post Malone appeared on the Vevo website with titles reading “Hacked by Kuroi'SH” and “hacked by prosox & kuroi'sh.”

“After seeing unusual upload activity on a handful of VEVO channels, we worked quickly with our partner to disable access while they investigate the issue,” YouTube spokesperson Nicole Bell said in an emailed statement.