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Facebook Chat Feature Exploited for Spreading Malware

According to researchers from G-Data the security company, a malware assault has recently been identified which is proliferating through chat messages on Facebook.

Two of these messages bearing the malware respectively read: "bist du das?? Aaaaaahahahahaahahaha, omg you look so cute" and "bist du das?? Aaaaaahahahahaahahaha, hey is this your ex? Iol" Both the messages show a link at the end.

But anyone following it is likely to get an .exe document, which appears like a picture. However, when tried to open, instead of the picture, messages pop up stating that it's not possible to display the same.

Now, during this process, malware gets installed onto the end-user's PC that distributes malevolent chat messages to all the friends on his Facebook contact list, while stays hidden from sight so that the victim doesn't perceive the vicious operations.

Moreover according to G-Data, the malware has a connection with files that require being deleted and these have been detected as Killproc.exe, GoogleTool.exe and Trojan.Generic.KD.320472.

Worryingly, it's because of the above kinds of assaults that malicious programs are increasing on Facebook and other similar social networks, remark security researchers. And to serve as a support to this statement, an online survey that G-Data recently conducted shows that almost 1 consumer among a total of 5 hit on web-links provided on social-networking messages.

Amazingly, NSS Labs Inc., an independent tester based in Calif shared the same conclusion. Thus as per, its most recent report of "Web Browser Security Comparative Test" vis-à-vis malware spread through social engineering tactics, 1/3rd of Web-surfers fall victim to cyber-criminals abusing Facebook or similar social-networking websites.

On the whole, Facebook users must be extra careful as also wary about any link they come across while browsing the website. For, practicing this won't just keep them secured but also enhance everybody's general experience thereby making it more difficult for such offences for spreading, remark the researchers.

Eventually, cyber-criminals exploiting chat messages on Facebook aren't unknown. During the 1st-week of August 2011, ESET the security company declared that it had spotted one highly risky Trojan variant namely Win32/Delf.QCZ, which had begun proliferating on Facebook.

Related article: Facebook Users Should be Careful of a Computer Virus

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