Facebook (Photo : Facebook)
Do not install that alleged Flash Player update on Facebook. There is a good chance it might be a Trojan called "Magnet" waiting to steal all your personal info.
Security experts said over 110,000 Facebook users fell victims in just two days to the first Magnet attack on Facebook over the weekend, according to RT. The victims installed malicious software disguised as a links to a porn site. Clicking on the post opened their computers to infection by a dangerous Trojan that lets hackers take control.
The Trojan installed what appeared to be an update to Flash Player, the popular Adobe software used to view videos in web browsers. Upon opening the post, the user gets a preview of a porn video that eventually stops. A prompt then asks the user to install a fake Flash upgrade.
Once a computer is infected, hackers are able to hijack the victim's keyboard and mouse. This means hackers can track every click and stroke and have access to the contents of the computers.
Unfortunately, Magnet spread quickly among Facebook users because it targeted fewer than 20 people at a time. This low level attack initially allowed Magnet to remain undetected by Facebook's security experts.
Facebook responded to news of the Magnet attack by purging its contents of the dangerous postings. A Facebook spokesperson told security website Threat Post the social media site was using a number of automated systems to identify potentially harmful links and stop them from spreading.
"In this case, we're aware of these malware varieties, which are typically hosted as browser extensions and distributed using links on social media sites. We are blocking links to these scams, offering cleanup options, and pursuing additional measures to ensure that people continue to have a safe experience on Facebook," Facebook said in a statement.
The Magnet attacks also led to users of legitimate Flash Player being warned by Adobe to look out for another type of attack.
Adobe said on Monday it discovered a previously undisclosed security flaw in the current version of its Flash Player. Hackers are believed to be exploiting certain Windows, Mac and Linux machines running installs of Internet Explorer and Firefox.
Adobe said a successful attack could cause a crash and allow an attacker to take control of the computer. A patch should be released this week.
