'Cocktail of Malware' Hidden in Facebook Picture of Blonde Duo
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A picture of two blond women on Facebook hides a 'cocktail of malware.'
CREDIT: Nik Frey/Creative Commons |
Two stunning blond girls are wreaking havoc on Facebook.
Researchers at the Danish security firm CSIS detected a dangerous worm spreading through the social networking giant in the form of a JPEG of two blond women smiling for the camera. Spreading via Facebook messages from friends, the image poses as a screensaver, but clicking on the picture sets in motion a cruel cybercrime campaign.
"The worm carries a cocktail of malware onto your machine, including a Zbot / ZeuS variant which is a serious threat," Peter Kruse from CSIS wrote on the company's site.
The Zeus Trojan enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to infected computers, and is often deployed to steal victims' bank account credentials by intercepting passwords sent by banks to authenticate online transactions. Since Zeus' source code was leaked in May, it has become easier, researchers say, for online criminals get their hands on the harmful Trojan.
When this particular Zeus variant hits a computer, it harvests data from the infected system and then attempts to download more malware from a compromised Israeli website, researchers at the security firm Sophos reported. The Israeli malware-hosting site is currently down, but "It is very possible that they are using additional websites to spread their malware attack," Sophos' Graham Cluley wrote.
To help keep your bank account and your computer safe, don't download any suspicious-looking attachments, even ones sent from your Facebook friends. It's also crucial to run up-to-date anti-virus software on your computer, which can help detect these dangerous Trojans before you have the chance to click on them. For a list of the best anti-virus software, click here.
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