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Fake Facebook Application Spreads Koobface Worm

Graham Cluley, a security analyst at Sophos, states that nearly 300,000 Facebook fans are attracted by a suspicious application that wildly circulates on the social networking website. These Facebook fans profiles could be exploited to launch spam, as reported by PCWORLD on July 6, 2010.

The fake Facebook application is nothing but a worm known as Koobface that infect users. The Facebook application could result into the identity theft since it is crafted to pilfer personal information online.

The application spread with a subject line - "I will NEVER text again" and attract users via a video file.

The application encourages users to click on the link that divert them to an application page. This application page takes permission from user to access his profile as other applications do.

If any user gives the permission to access his profile, then the application offers to share a video that pretends to provide information about someone who died owing to a texting incident.

If the user clicks on the video link, the video does not play. However, it is posted on the user's wall and attached as a news for other people to watch.

Cluley further said that the publisher of application is listed as "Anne Klein" on Facebook, but his profile does not have photograph. It seems a fake page, as reported by PCWorld on July 6, 2010.

This could be used as advertising for spam or could be exploited for sending spam mails, Cluley said.

Commenting on the rising number of Facebook applications, Cluley said that one the main problems with Facebook was the privilege it gave to users of writing an application. The third party applications were not scanned before allowing public to use them, as reported by newsoxy on July 7, 2010.

He commented that although Facebook leveled one application as malicious, another popped up like a mushroom with different name.

The security experts stated that several people had started to use online social networking websites, but there was an urgent need of educating them about the dangers of fake applications. Hence, the Facebook users need to be more cautious of their profile and these types of fake applications.

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

» SPAMfighter News - 7/20/2010

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