Do Spencer’s Vibrators Have Malware on Them? An Investigation

Someone claims to have accidentally downloaded malware by plugging a cheap vibrator from the mall store Spencer’s into their computer. If true, it’d be one of the first times this type of attack has been documented. So we decided to do our best to replicate this.

Reddit user VegetableLuck posted to r/malware that they bought a small vibrator from the mall, plugged it into their computer’s USB port to charge “without any thought,” and claimed that it downloaded a file flagged by their system’s anti-virus protection software as malware. 

“Opened my web browser and a file is instantly downloaded without opening any webpages, malwarebytes has flagged it as malware and stopped the download,” they wrote. This supposed virus-laden vibrator post went viral on Reddit and Twitter over the weekend.

[Update Feb. 27, 4:43 p.m. EST: A spokesperson for Spencer's told 404 Media: “We are aware of the issue raised regarding one of our intimate products and can confirm that it is unable to transmit data, as there is no physical connection from the PC board circuitry to the USB data pins.”]

Podcast: A Deepfake Nightmare + Vibrator Malware

How a deepfake nudify app rocked a high school; the spread of fake funeral livestream scams on Facebook; and a very serious investigation into whether a particular brand of vibrator is distributing malware.

404 MediaJoseph Cox

“No damage was done! Malwarebytes did catch it before I even knew what was happening and then I only investigated where I was able to see the file and get the download source/link from it,” VegetableLuck told 404 Media. “I was very confused as something like this has never happened before, and I hadn't done anything out of the ordinary on my computer, I had also just turned it on for the day and opened my web browser, the only new variable was I had this vibrator plugged into the usb port!”

They told us they bought it in person on Valentine’s Day at Spencer’s Gifts, a store that largely sells Family Guy t-shirts, Rick and Morty bongs, and lava lamps. Spencer’s stores usually also have a section dedicated to adult toys. The specific item VegetableLuck told us they bought—”Pussy Power 8-Function Rechargeable Bullet Vibrator 4 Inch” by the brand Sexology, according to VegetableLuck—is still listed on the Spencer’s website but is sold out. It has mostly 5-star ratings, and none mention viruses or malware.