Security researchers warned Web users against visiting NBC.com, saying that hackers added links to malware on the site. Google's Chrome browser and others detected the threats, and deterred users from loading the page.
NBC released the following statement regarding the website, which promotes the entertainment offerings of the TV network: "We’ve identified the problem and are working to resolve it. No user information has been compromised."
A warning came first from security researcher Ronald Prins of Fox-IT in the Netherlands, who tweeted a warning against visiting NBC.com, saying it was spreading malware.
Additional security bloggers investigated and reported finding exploits. "There were two exploits links on the NBC website," one on the homepage and another further into the site, reported the HitmanPro security blog.
"The exploit drops the Citadel Trojan which is used for banking fraud and cyber-espionage," said the blog.
Tony Perez of SucuriBlog independently confirmed the malware and added that exploits were found on other sites related to NBC.com, such as the site for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Until NBC or security researchers report otherwise, it's best to avoid these sites for now.
The breach has no effect on NBC News Digital, which operates NBCNews.com, TODAY.com and other news-oriented sites.
If you think your computer may have been affected, HitmanPro offers a free malware detection and removal tool that you can download via this link; it should be up-to-date and will remove the Citadel Trojan.
Wilson Rothman is the Technology & Science editor at NBC News Digital. Catch up with him on Twitter at @wjrothman, and join our conversation on Facebook.
