Monday, August 31, 2009

Beware of a new Facebook virus

 

A link/post/message is going around facebook.  Below is a sample of what the posting looks like.  Notice that youtube.com is in the link, tho the actual website is pari270809 and rect08242009.  If you click on the link it will let you know your computer needs to be updated.  The update is the virus and if it runs it resends the link/post/message to all your friends as well as infects your computer.

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11 comments:

kent said...

Yikes, have it on my facebook page. any idea how to remove? If I find it on my facebook page, is it too late?? Help...

Richard said...

You may be able to remove it with the "remove" button to the right of the post. ??

On your facebook page is it from you or from a friend? If it is from a friend then you were not or are not infected your friend is. If it is from you, you may be infected.

kent said...

I apparently emailed 28 unlucky friends with this thing already. It shows up with me sending to others....

Richard said...

Yup, you are infected :(

Can start with a new posting on your facebook page to beware of your postings

You should then try http://housecall.trendmicro.com / http://www.antivirus.com
this is the free online virus scanner from Trend Micro.

More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koobface

kent said...

Geez, I have avast installed and updated. Will that do the trick? Come to think of it, why didn't it do the trick? Running a c drive scan now...thanks for all this...

Richard said...

Can't hurt to run scan with avast and then get a 2nd opinion by running the Trend Micro online scanner.

good luck, post back your results

kent said...

Thanks. I've been deleting the posts I made to my friend's walls. Seems that none have been opened so far. Fortunately seems only about 30 got it. I'll try second scan...

Anonymous said...

After clicking on the link I saw that my computer asked me to restart my computer "to finish instaling important updates" I keep on clickin on "postpone" to avoid the virus to finish installing, but how can I solve this now? Can I avoid the update to complete and abort the virus now?

I have Norton antivirus installed, but apparently it was not enough to prevent this.

PLEASE HELP ASAP, I am not an expert with programming or computers, just an average user. Thanks.

James Brown said...

Richard, good catch, I saw it on my page (from a friend) and when I went to the URL it didn't look right. The URL was an IP address, Facebook links didn't work, etc. I googled the site and your blog post was one of the only hits.

Unknown said...

I normally do not use Facebook even I have an account there, someone sent me this link and my virus program detected them. There are two viruses/cookies found right after I clicked on the link. The program named AVG, get it at www.download.com!!!

Kent said...

So, the virus sent out three rounds of Facebook posts, but to a relatively small number of friends...about 30 (out of 85 total) the first time, 5 the second and the same the third. Couldn't see any pattern in targeting. I downloaded and ran Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, available here for free: http://download.cnet.com/Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware/3000-8022_4-10804572.html?part=dl-10804572&subj=dl&tag=button. I ran the program and it cleaned more than thirty viruses locations, including several Koobfaces. So far so good...