Hackers are using supposed free digital copies of The Odyssey to attack people’s computers, researchers have revealed.

The Odyssey was released last month and quickly became one of the biggest films of the year. But it is yet to be released digitally, and so internet users have been looking for illegal downloads of the film to try and watch it at home for free.

But attackers are using that appetite to watch the film to take over people’s computers in potentially disastrous ways, according to research from cyber security firm Bitdefender.

On numerous download sites, files are being offered that pose as legitimate video downloads of the film, the company warned. But they are actually a disguised version of the “Lumma Stealer” malware.

When the files are opened, they actually infect a user’s computer with dangerous malware, the research warned. Lumma Stealer is malware, developed in Russia, that is able to steal sensitive information including people’s passwords, saved payment information and other files that would allow a cyber attacker to quickly take over its victim’s computer and their lives.

Hackers have repeatedly used popular films to spread such malware – especially when they are yet to be released on streaming services, and so may be hard to find. Last year, researchers found that supposed free copies of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning were being used for a very similar cyber attack, for instance.

“The latest campaign simply replaces one blockbuster with another,” Bitdefender’s Silviu Stahie said. “Rather than inventing new attacks, criminals continually recycle successful delivery methods around whatever film is dominating search engines and torrent sites.”

The researchers noted that anyone looking for highly anticipated films, on illegal websites, may expect to see unusual file names and so be less likely to check the legitimacy of the files they believe they are downloading. What’s more, though the files are actually executable computer programs rather than films, the attackers are able to hide that fact to people downloading them.

Bitdefender advised that users only watch films form legitimate streaming services, check that they are actually opening films rather than executable files, and keep their computer and security software updated.