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Facebook infested with new worm; More proof site is insecure?

By | November 28, 2010, 8:27am PST

Summary: Facebook is infested with a new worm, hijacking status updates and spreading like wildfire to other users. Another bit of evidence towards Facebook being insecure, and lax with user privacy and data?

Facebook is littered with a worm, seemingly the same one under different names, created by randomly generated developers, which is spreading links all over the site.

Applications like S22BZ5 created by randomly assigned pseudonym ‘Jackson Lasseter’ has nearly 300 people under the grips of the worm. Others, such as replicated application B5DA8G, 9IHJ35 and AU0ZVE have just under 1,000 people inadvertently spreading the worm.

Just in the last 24 hours, I have seen my own friends’ list infiltrated by these worm applications which set status messages via the application without the knowledge of the profile owner, through a shortened link service with an infected GIF file.

A quick Facebook search for ‘tiny.cc‘ and ‘is.gd‘, two link shortening services, shows a great deal of worry and concern over

Links seem to run through imgcrave.info and imgpant.info which then direct the user to an ordinary, legitimate website like Google or YouTube. Once this is done, your Facebook will be compromised, though this only seems to work on a Windows machine.

By looking at the statistics on the tiny.cc webpage alone, it shows nearly 1,000 Facebook users clicking spam the link, with most being unique account holders running Windows with Firefox or Internet Explorer.

Running an WHOIS on both domains seem to pull up the registered details of a person living in the north of the United Kingdom, with the website based on a server in Denmark. This could fit considering the aforementioned statistics shows more people in the UK being hit by the worm.

This could however be a complicated ‘revenge’ attack on this person, considering any hacker or malware writer would surely not be stupid enough to leave their own details on a WHOIS record. This is speculation, however.

Once again, this shows Facebook will allow applications which are not verified, that act in a worm or malware like fashion, and allows individual user privacy to become compromised to anyone who can slap together a simple application.

Have you found yourself compromised by a worm application like this? Did you manage to remove it, or did it leave malware on your computer?

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Topics

Zack Whittaker, a criminologist who studied at the University of Kent, Canterbury, is a journalist, writer and broadcaster.

Disclosure

Zack Whittaker

I worked briefly with Microsoft UK in 2006 but no longer have any connection with the company. Regardless, I remain impartial and unbiased in my views.

I don't hold any stock or shares, investments or industrial secrets in any company, but have signed confidentiality agreements with a number of UK and U.S. organisations, whose names I am not at liberty to disclose.

I was involved with Kent Union, the University of Kent's student union, undertaking voluntary, non-salaried, elected positions between early 2009 and mid-2010.

No other company, body, government department, non-governmental organisation or third sector organisation employs me or pays me a salary in any capacity whatsoever.

As a freelance journalist, whenever expenses are given and taken by a company that is not CBS Interactive, these will be disclosed in each relevant post to ensure transparency.

I currently work with a UK law enforcement unit, but this is an entirely separate position which bears no connection to other work.

(Updated: 23rd October 2011)

Biography

Zack Whittaker

Zack Whittaker, criminologist who studied at the University of Kent, UK, is a journalist, writer and broadcaster.

After studying criminology at university, though still in his early-20's, he has already had a series unconventional work and voluntary positions. He has worked with researchers studying neurological illnesses like Tourette's syndrome (which he suffers from), has given lectures on the nature of disabilities in the public community, and occasionally ends up speaking on television and radio discussing the events of the day.

He first had academic work published at the age of 22, then still an undergraduate, and has been cited by a wide range of publications: from the Huffington Post, Business Insider, AllThingsDigital, The Atlantic Wire and CBS News.

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RE: Facebook infested with new worm; More proof site is insecure?
timesquare2 25th Nov
I don't understand why people are using facebook as a tool for business and news if there is already problems with its privacy...
I do not do facebook however the attack does not mean it is insecure.
Any "secure site" no matter how secure can be broken into if enough people try hard enough, that does not make it insecure it makes it broken into.
Insecure is if it is easy or has no security at all like many people's WiFi.
Facebook is popular so who knows how many people try very hard every second to get in.
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Contributr
@MoeFugger It's the argument about Facebook's lack of checks and validation of applications, allowing developers to easily create and roll out applications used for spam and malware. iTunes and BlackBerry App World both make sure that applications are verified; Facebook doesn't.
@zwhittaker

This is the poof that Facebook really does not give a damn about their customers. It is such an obvious security hole, yet they do nothing to plug it.

This is why, when to my horror, I saw a cute young thing in a Starbucks using her laptop for both facebook and home banking, I explained the risk to her, explaining why I am a "Facebook refusenik",why I would certainly never use Facebook on the same machine as home banking, even with Avira and Superantispyware (which I also recommended to her).
@MoeFugger

they sure are tight about any post reguarding it. I tried to post a link to this blog, won't take it. tried to post a portion of this text, rejected. seems they really don't want their users to know
@SandisUnicorns

I just posted a link to this article with no problems.
@SandisUnicorns I was also blocked with the message that the content I was trying to post was abusive or spammy. It may have been because I quoted a short bit of text with the phrase "Links seem to run through imgcrave.info and imgpant.info" in the content box.
@SandisUnicorns I also just posted a link to this article with no issues at all. How and on what part of fb are you posting yours?
@MoeFugger

im qith you. At least when myspace had this issue, what three years ago, they redirected all links to pass through a page that says "hey you are leaving our site and could be at risk" ..

Sad thing is, that was three years ago and people are still too stupid to know the difference.
Inevitable privacy lapses are the only reason I cant use facebook anymore, even though i might need to. Compromising the privacy of 100 million users is something that is unacceptable. Facebook just isnt secure enough and privacy is a huge concern for me. Ive been waiting for new social networking platforms such as MyCube and Diaspora, which seem very promising in terms of privacy. I really hope they live up to their promise and we can be assured of our privacy online.
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Contributr
@vishal_bhardhwaj 500 million. That's a bit scary.
@vishal_bhardhwaj, I don't necessarily disagree with you in concept, but the weak link in facebook is applications. Don't use untrusted applications, and there is little chance of some random entity being able to access your profile. Knowing when to trust an application; high profile applications are usually trustworthy for example farmville, since they have a purpose other than injecting malware and don't want to compromise that purpose by being accused of being malware. Sure they are a bit spammy, but harmless. I don't accept such application's requests from friends, but only because they litter my facebook with something I have nothing to do with. Low profile applications need more care taken when allowing access to your facebook.
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RE: Farmville, trustworthy...
EnKrptyed 29th Nov 2010
@max_wedge Sorry to tell you Max, but Farmville is Facebook's LEAST trustworthy app is date. Because it is their biggest draw, it's also their biggest TARGET! (you have to think like a hacker here, if only just a minute... which would you rather attack... the program that has several hundred thousand players giving up their data without a second thought, or the other little bitty game with only a few hundred?) Oh, and speaking of players giving up their data, did I mention that Zynga, the developer OF Farmville, was (last I heard) being SUED for SELLING players' data to the highest bidder? That's a trustworthy program, eh?
@vishal_bhardhwaj
facebook is becoming unfortunately a necessary evil... Using linux does reduce the risks accociated with these rogue apps. If you're an avid windows fan, install a virtualised Linux OS and use facebook there.
@qbicdesign ... There's no such thing as a necessary evil ... only bad ideas people accept because they believe they have to. Dare to believe that you never have to invest in a bad idea just because millions of others have.
@qbicdesign How would I go about installing virtual Linux OS. I am not really a windows fan, but I am 65 & only use FB because of my kids.
My E is: minor@bresnan.net Many thanks, Rick
@qbicdesign Seriously, run a virtualised OS just to play Farmville? :P Talk about a bloated browser! This sort of attack can be targeted at any OS if they have a specific vulnerability; the article mentions an infected GIF, so maybe it is browser-specific. Using Chrome on Windows is your best bet at protecting yourself I guess, disable Java is you don't need it for banking or something. Obviously you need Flash for playing Facebook games, and Javascript is a must these days.
@juvii your best bet is if you have a techie relative. Seriously, it is a silly thing having to run another OS in a virtual machine just to use a browser more securely. There are instances where some might do it, but just to use Facebook or play its games and if you are not technically inclined, not worth it... just be aware that there are scammers and hackers out there, that some might want to make Friends with you and chat you up and eventually ask for money with some sob story, or post links to dangerous sites. Actual friends can have their profile stolen or become infected as mentioned and unknowingly spam links. I haev a deaf friend and there are lowlife scammers targeting the deaf community trying to fool them into thinking they've won something if they will only pay some deposit, hand over personal information or something. Mostly it will not be a problem, just worth being vigilant.
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Virtual Linux
james.vandamme 1st Dec 2010
@juvii Go to http://wubi.sourceforge.net/ to try out Linux. But be careful, you might get spoiled.
p.s. I'm 63
@qbicdesign

By no means is it a -necessary- anything. I am a successful Facebook Refusenik.
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New attack vector
ZStoner 28th Nov 2010
Probably just stating the obvious, but the part I find more worrisome is not that it's indirectly going thru Facebook, but that "Short URL" providers like TinyURL, Tiny.CC and others are creating convenient ways to obscure the actual URLs.

Are there any browser add-ins which can decode/decrypt these URLs on the fly BEFORE you click them? It wouldn't help the masses of people who blindly click on stuff, but it would help those who are more self-aware and want to "sniff" the URL before clicking it.
@ZStoner
Here's your answer.
h x x p://windowssecrets.com/2010/11/25/02-Avoid-the-security-risk-of-shortened-URLs/#story1
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@ZStoner and got a ton of hits. You might look at Untiny using Greasemonkey if you're using Firefox.
I don't click on links in my e-mail and I darn sure don't click on links on Facebook. It's like anything else. Use common sense.
Seems like 90%+ of the infected computers I have cleaned in the last 1 1/2 yrs are facebook users and usually the infestation can be tracked back to their recent activity on facebook.
I knew it and many did not belive, called me crazy. They hacked my email through it. And I use facebook to connect with out of state family. Do these people have nothing better to do with their time then try to hurt people they don't know? Just another reason for me to alert EVERYONE I know about the unpleasentness of Facebook.
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So, let me get this straight....
shawkins 29th Nov 2010
You see a concealed URL on someone's FB post, so you just click on it??? You're kidding, right? Ok..... whatever.
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Tiny URL decoder
archangel999 29th Nov 2010
You can install the link examiner from Link Spy in the IE add-on gallery - then right click the link to examine and select Link Spy from the accelerator submenu
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It's not facebook that is insecure, but people acting in reckless ways. Clicking on unknown links with something vague like "You're a legend" and then finding an app and clicking on it not knowing what the app is is like leaving the keys in an unlocked car with the engine running and a sign saying "Steal Me" and then blaming the car manufacturer for not making a secure car.
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All this makes me feel highly justified in my decision to have nothing to do with Facebook. Once in a while, though I get an email saying that someone from Facebook wants to get in touch. Such unwanted intrusions are sent immediately to the Delete file. Is this enough to preserve my privacy?
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November 29th I took note to this issue.
I have been putting out those fires left and right. They use more than one url shortener.
http://truxtertech.com/news/2010/11/09/facebook-accounts-getting-hacked-like-crazy/
Look, there is no "who viewed my profile, except on myspace now. There is no get magical points for games, there is none of the crap we learned not to click back in the email bomb days, back in the chatroom days, back in the myspace early days.
Facebook is a nice place to get more newbies it seems.
Excellent article, Zack. It is sad that we have to be SO cautious. Hypervigilance is about the only defense we have.
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Contributr
@msytn@... Thanks!
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Facebook is infested with worms and other virus...
bilingualdesigns@... 29th Nov 2010
I use FB and I have see first hand how this virus works, they try using there IM for you to get a new blackberry, or hi ck out my vacation video and many more! the one I got was prockill and it loaded by itself onto my computer.
Miguel A+ & MCP
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RE: Facebook infested with new worm; More proof site is insecure?
bilingualdesigns@... Updated - 29th Nov 2010
My wife gos on to do here farm and bang she is hit with a virus, I also see a lot of people posting video's from Utube. I opened a music video on my computer and was hit with a Trojan virus called prockill. that was by passed by AVG and Malewarebytes. My computer started running slow FireFox kept crashing for no reason. I ran spybot and it found this virus, and to me they FB doesn't scan for any virus on there apps and the links from other site! Its open season on FB for malware and virus's.

Miguel
Yet another reason to switch to the much more secure Google Buzz!
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See Above
What is the best CURE?
ever since I've clicked on the link .. I've been getting a you won $1000 at K-mart link ... or a Google search pop up when open Explorer ... plus my wi-fi or wireless link seems to lock up my computer after I'm online for a bit ... can't even view my available wirless message .. windows cannot configure this wireless connection .. but the icon says I'm connected .? I have to shut down the computer and start over ... ran all my anti-virus CA .. spyware .. no luck ..
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Worm
marlajune 30th Nov 2010
They tell us about it but don't tell us what to do about it-typical.
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Facebook is a virus
JQA1 2nd Dec 2010
Facebook is a virus that has infected your brain. That's how it works so well. So far it has infected over 500 million users.
I saw this coming the moment this SUPERMALWARE "Facebook" would be worm-infested in no time. To put on a good face in "Facebook," they now publish articles themselves about it. In 2010, it is still so easy to fool even the experts. The trick is to "call it free."
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I saw myself as endangered by the worm but I am stronger than the guy I was not with me xD ... I hope they remove this malware from the net ...!!!
Like you need any more proof?
The infection is happening because Windows has a flaw and uninformed users are clicking a link because it claims it's "cool."

This is more of a social engineering attack that is getting the gullible and idiotic.
HOW DO I PROTECT MYSELF? I use facebook as a business tool?
I don't understand why people are using facebook as a tool for business and news if there is already problems with its privacy...

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