Hacker leaks upcoming episodes of Netflix shows online following security breach

A production partner of Netflix has suffered a serious security breach which has resulted in yet-to-be-released episodes of popular shows to be leaked online.

As Variety reports, the security breach occurred at media localisation company Iyuno which confirmed on August 9 that it had suffered a "security issue, involving unauthorized access to confidential content."

Iyuno said it was "actively investigating" the security breach and would attempt to "identify the responsible parties" in the wake of numerous clips, footage, and even complete episodes of unreleased Netflix shows were leaked online by hackers.

Low-resolution footage with timestamps and visible watermarks have been posted on Twitter, 4Chan, and torrent sites.

The affected Netflix shows reportedly include:

• Arcane
• Dandadan
• Heartstopper
• Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld
• Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain
• Plankton: The Movie
• Ranma 1/2
• Spellbound
• Terminator Zero

The anonymous leaker has also claimed to possess the first three episodes of the hotly-anticipated season 5 of "Stranger Things," and has threatened to release them.

Fans reacted to the news with a mixture of emotions, some clamouring to see unreleased episodes as soon as possible (regardless of whether they might be in poor quality) while others urged for the leaks to be boycotted and that anyone watching ahead of an episode's official release not to publish any plot spoilers.

Animator Kass Chapa, who worked on the Ranma 1/2 anime shows leaked by the hacker, described the breach as "incredibly disrespectful" on Twitter, and worried that freelance artists who worked on shows might be trusted less as a result.

In this case there doesn't appear to be any reason to point the finger of blame at a freelance artist, but instead a failure at post-production firm Iyuno to properly secure content it was localising for global markets.

Ten years ago, unfinished episodes of the "Doctor Who" series leaked online six weeks ahead of scheduled transmission following a leak at a facility where they were being translated for viewers in Latin America.

Aside from the morality of downloading a leaked version of an as-yet-unreleased TV show, fans would be wise to consider the potential security risks of reckless downloading content which claims to be of their favourite programmes - as it may expose your computer to malware or other threats.