Fake Facebook Antivirus Spreads through Tagged Images and Spam

F-Secure, the security firm has found on Facebook a new type of fake AV (anti-virus) spreading in different names such as Facebook Antivirus, F'acebook antivirus and antivirus in Focebook.

Understandably, most people who were infected with this spammy program actually didn't click a permission button or an ad. The infection spread through a contact with a friend of those people who were forced into the quagmire as the program attached images obtained from a genuine application.

To cite an instance, one bogus program apparently was pulled from Panda Cloud Antivirus, while the program sometimes used a Norton icon too. The icon's much-known stethoscope and circle in yellow was about everything that convinced users into loading the malicious program.

When planted onto a Facebook profile, the program will affix its own image together with 20 people's names picked up from the victim's address book. From there, when the individuals found their names attached, they naturally clicked on the image.

There was also an apparently random link in the image. When clicked, an option appeared which let the user access the program onto his profile. In case that was permitted, the spammy activities started again. Friends got the latest updates, encountered the Antivirus, and unwittingly clicked on things, leading to the infection's dissemination.

Security researchers, while remarking about the issue, stated that Facebook antivirus was simply one more sample of worthless application, harmful to gullible users. The website, which had innumerable users, is thus an enticing target for the distributors of malware. Lately, cyber-criminals even tried to snatch Facebook users' passwords. With fake e-mails, they told legitimate users that a change had been made to their account passwords and that they needed to open an attachment containing the new login details. But, that rather redirected them onto malware, which steals passwords, the researchers elucidated.

Meanwhile, regarding the Facebook antivirus issue, experts stated that getting the picture cleared of the label was perhaps the best solution. Users must be careful not to let programs like the one discussed above gain entry into their account. Similarly, they must be vigilant about any application they include into their profile, the researchers added.

Related article: Fake Spam Mail Announces Australian PM’s Heart Attack

» SPAMfighter News - 4/7/2010