KODI: The Blacklist of 293 Add-ons You Should Never Install

KODI is probably the best media player of the last years. Not only is it available for practically any platform we can think of (PC, mobile, Raspberry), but it also has an overwhelming set of functionalities.

It is capable of reading almost any video and audio format, as well as having a 100% customizable interface. Although without a doubt, one of its greatest attractions is the extensions, also known as add-ons. We could say that they are small "applications" that we install in KODI, in such a way that it allows us to expand their possibilities almost to infinity.

Many of these add-ons can be installed directly from the official KODI repository. Obviously, all these extensions are clean, legitimate and have been approved by the XBMC community or Team KODI. In this group we would find add-ons such as Netflix, YouTube, and many other legal add-ons to watch series and movies on KODI.

Extensions for KODI that we must avoid if we do not want to be infected by malware

But make no mistake, there are many add-ons that are used to view paid content for free. We talk about those extensions that are installed from external repositoriesAnd beware, because all that glitters is not gold.

Why are we in danger if we install one of these add-ons

When someone installs an add-on to view pirated content, they usually do not wonder about the effect it may have on the security of their device. In fact, this is the hook that malware distributors use to infiltrate our computer.

The KODI developers have it clear, and confirm that the malware that enters KODI does so through add-on updates to watch premium content for free.

In some cases, they are not only used to infect computers with viruses. Without going any further, a couple of years ago, the owner of a well-known add-on used its users to make a botnet and carry out a DDoS attack.

The blacklist of 293 potentially dangerous KODI add-ons

As indicated in the official KODI wiki, these are the 293 extensions that violate the rules of use of the KODI forum (remember that we are talking about an Open Source tool). Developers not only do not offer support for these external plugins: their use can also lead to banning or expulsion.

Beware of old extensions

As we mentioned a bit above, malware usually enters through updates from these external add-ons. The method used by cybercriminals is really simple but effective.

• First, they look for old extensions that have been abandoned by their developers. Since its owners have stopped paying for the domain from this external source, they buy it.
• Once they have control of the domain of this external add-on, they take advantage of it to introduce malware into their code. It is enough to publish a new update for the malware to spread to all devices that have the add-on installed.

For this reason, if we see that we have some external plugin for KODI that has stopped working, it is best to uninstall it as soon as possible, since we run the risk that it will be "reused" by third parties to get "the bug" and blow us away.

Some will say that it is divine justice (remember what you were using that add-on for), but it is still a highly recommended use, at least as far as security is concerned.