Fact Check: Viral Clip of Cricketer Virat Kohli Endorsing Aviator Betting App Is A Deepfake
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A root server is a name server that directly answers queries for records in the root zone and redirects requests for more specific domains to the appropriate top-level domain (TLD) servers. Root servers are an integral part of this system, acting as the first step in resolving a domain name into its corresponding IP address. They provide the initial direction needed to locate the authoritative servers for any domain. Internet users access online information through different domain names and interactions with any web browser takes place through IP (Internet Protocol) addresses.
These videos of celebrities promoting gaming/betting apps are deep fakes
Upon examination of this database, a process logged as ‘BackupAgent’ was found to be making network connections at the same time the device was making connections to the suspicious domains. By handling local queries, the L-root server eases the load on global servers, contributing to a more stable and resilient global internet. Well, in this regard, there are two types of root server instances that can be found– Global instance and Local instance. This initiative marks a significant step toward enhancing the resilience, speed, and security of internet connectivity in eastern India. They’re exploiting the trust people have in LuLu Hypermarket and the excitement around the new iPhone 15 during the Holi festival. The fake questionnaire serves no real purpose, but it’s a way to engage users and make the scam seem legitimate.
Deepfakes of Ambani, Dhoni, Kohli promote betting app
We then did some keyword searches to see if India TV had published any news as claimed in the Viral Video, but we didn’t find any credible source. What is more concerning is the ease and low cost in designing and maintaining them. The popularity of such games can be gauged by the fact that some software developers have put out documents online and FAQ (frequently asked questions) on the development of such games, and offer to design them in no time. An AI content detection tool developed by US firm TrueMedia found that these videos used cloned voices and visuals manipulated by AI. A similar video has gone viral claiming that Kohli has announced the launch of his new casino.
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Bollywood actress Rashmika Mandhana also fell prey to it when her face was superimposed on a clip of a British influencer named Zara Patel. The above features demonstrate why the Virat Kohli Aviator game download is quickly becoming a favorite among players. Whether you’re on the go or playing from the comfort of your home, this game offers an unmatched experience. We ran the video through the deepfake detection tool by TrueMedia, which showed a high possibility of it being a deepfake. Still, how these attackers were able to find this critical vulnerability in a device which stands out for it’s security features is still unknown.
CyberPeace Advisory:
- Although the attackers had managed to clean their artefacts, the backed up data was used to perform digital forensic procedures and find traces of the attacks.
- With this milestone, CyberPeace reaffirms its commitment to driving innovation and resilience in cyberspace, paving the way for a more connected and secure future.
- Internet users access online information through different domain names and interactions with any web browser takes place through IP (Internet Protocol) addresses.
- This pattern could be seen in most deepfakes used to promote shady online businesses.
- A video of Indian actor Akshay Kumar promoting an application named ‘Aviator Game 1Win’ is being widely shared on social media platforms.
The popularity of simulated aviator games – that give a virtual experience of flying an aircraft – seems to be rising in India. Google Trends data shows the keyword “aviator game” has risen by over 10 times in the last one year. Team WebQoof performed a keyword search on YouTube and found a video of Kohli’s interview, which showed him wearing the same attire as seen in the viral video.
This is unlikely as a famous cricketer promoting a betting app would have been covered by mainstream media. A video of Indian actor Akshay Kumar promoting an application named ‘Aviator Game 1Win’ is being widely shared on social media platforms. Earlier this year, a deepfake of Sachin Tendulkar promoting a similar aviator game was reported. Despite widespread coverage of the incident, the notorious operators continue to circulate deep fakes of other celebrities. I’m Aviator Expert, a passionate gaming enthusiast with a deep focus on online casino games, especially the thrilling Aviator game.
Understanding the DNS hierarchy – Starting from Root
AI technologies like voice cloning could have been used to alter Kohli’s voice and lip movements to create the false impression of a gaming app promotion. The video cuts to Kohli talking about an online game with a winning percentage of 200. With the 35-year-old in reality has not promoted any online game, the video is a dubbed version of an old one, with Kohli claiming that more money can be won by investing a small amount. The clip concludes with the Delhi-born cricketer endorsing the application to the wider public. We also found multiple similar fake videos featuring various celebrities, cricketers, and industrialists like Anant Ambani, Akshay Kumar, and Sachin Tendulkar.
The DNS root zone is served by 13 unique IP addresses, supported by hundreds of redundant root servers distributed worldwide connected through Anycast Routing to manage requests efficiently. As of January 8, 2025, the global root server system consists of 1921 instances operated by 12 independent root server operators. These servers ensure the smooth functioning of the internet by managing the backbone of DNS queries. We started our investigation by running a keyword search for relevant media reports about Virat Kohli endorsing any betting app but could not find any.
The viral advertisements begin with well known TV journalists reporting on or endorsing Aviator, followed by a clip of Virat Kohli promoting the app. Kohli is seen enticing viewers by promising substantial earnings with minimal investment. It is remarkable how Kaspersky detected the attack and identified multiple vulnerabilities, set up a trap to capture a payload and decrypted it completely. They shared all their findings with the device manufacturer and Apple responded by sending out a security patch update addressing four zero-day vulnerabilities. At Kaspersky, security analysts used their SIEM solution KUMA to monitor their corporate WiFi network traffic and discovered this mysterious attack. They took necessary actions to investigate it and even went a step further to dive right into the action and uncover the entire attack chain.
This means that you can make a lot of money from your game,” reads a document posted by a Noida-based firm. Meta’s transparency data says these pages were run from different countries like Ukraine, the UK, the US, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Creators of « Aviator App » have targeted heavyweights and influencers from all walks of life for promotion – from comedian Kapil Sharma, cricketers Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, to businessman Mukesh Ambani.
This provides considerable evidence suggesting that the audio has been AI-generated, and the lips have been synchronised to the audio using AI as well. TrueMedia’s analysis found substantial evidence of the audio being generated using artificial intelligence, while also finding evidence of manipulation of face using AI. Your institution or organization can partner with us in any one of our initiatives or policy research activities and complement the region-specific resources and talent we need. Moreover, we also found an extended version of the video on the YouTube channel of Cricket.com.au titled ‘Kohli credits Aussie fight but says friendships over’. In the videos, ‘Kohli’ could be seen luring viewers by promising huge earnings through minimal investment.
They also developed a ‘Telegram’ bot to notify them about new infections as they decrypted the network traffic. Each time a connection to these suspicious domains was made, it was preceded by an iMessage connection which indicated these domains are being accessed by iOS devices. These deepfake videos have been socially engineered to take different groups of the audience into confidence. “Social engineering” refers to campaigns designed to exploit human psychology to manipulate people into transferring money or doing something that they won’t normally do.
First, we conducted an online search to determine if Virat Kohli has ever endorsed such a gaming application. We found no reports or mentions of him endorsing such an application on his social media platforms. A video of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli promoting an application named ‘Aviator Game 1Win’ is being widely shared on social media platforms. Upon closer analysis of the viral video, we noticed discrepancies like mismatched lip movements and poor-quality visuals.
These previously unsuspected domains had a similar name-style which consisted https://aviator.5g.in/ of two names and ended with ‘.com’, such as ‘backuprabbit.com’ and ‘cloudsponcer.com’. They were used in pairs, one for an exportation process and the other served as a command and control server. These domains showed high outbound traffic, they were registered with NameCheap and protected with Cloudflare. A few months ago, Kaspersky shared their findings about this attack on iOS devices. They shared how these zero-click vulnerabilities were being exploited by the attackers and called this attack ‘Operation Triangulation’.
The attackers deleted all the attachment files and exploits but did not delete the modified SMS attachment folder. The attackers removed evidence from other databases as well, like the ‘SMS.db’ database, however another database called ‘datausage.sqlite’ was not sanitised. Social media is buzzing with a link that claims to offer an iPhone 15 as a gift from LuLu Hypermarket, presented as part of Holi celebrations. This article examines the deceptive tactics behind this fraudulent offer and provides guidance on recognizing and avoiding such scams. On the cricketing side of things, Kohli has been off the field due to personal reasons.
It’s a game that combines fast action with the charm of Virat Kohli, offering the perfect balance for fans of both gaming and sports. Performing a Reverse Image Search of the viral video keyframes, we identified an identical video of cricketer Virat Kohli on the YouTube channel of Audi India, dated February 3, 2022. Being aware of the risks and taking proactive steps can significantly reduce vulnerability. Regularly installing the latest updates for your operating system, apps, and firmware helps patch vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. Traditionally any spyware relies on the user to to click on a compromised link or file to initiate the infection. However a zero-click vulnerability is a specific flaw in the device software or hardware that the attacker can use to infect the device without the need for a click or tap from the user.
