Gumleaf
December 10th, 2008, 12:14 AM
11:00 AEST Wed Dec 10 2008
Facebook and MySpace users are being targeted by a fast-spreading virus that hijacks personal information including credit card details.
The worm, known as "Koobface", sends a message to the user purporting to be from one of their friends and asks them to click on what appears to be a YouTube video.
After clicking on one of the messages — which include "you look funny in this new video", "is it u there?" and "you're the whole show! i'm admired with you" — the user is presented with a link asking them to download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.
It is after clicking on the supposed Flash update that the worm is installed onto the computer.
The malware can then quickly seize a person's credit card details in two ways, according to Guy Bunker, a spokesman for anti-virus software company Symantec.
"It can either wait for you to buy something online and just remember the details you type in on your keyboard," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.
"Otherwise it can search your computer for any cookies you might have from when you've bought something in the past, and take them from there."
Koobface appears only to target Windows-based operating systems, with other systems including Apple apparently unaffected by the virus.
Security experts warn Koobface poses a greater threat than other viruses because users of social networking sites are more likely to trust information coming from within their account.
Facebook has posted a warning on its security page recommending affected users reset their password and download new anti-virus software.
Facebook and MySpace users are being targeted by a fast-spreading virus that hijacks personal information including credit card details.
The worm, known as "Koobface", sends a message to the user purporting to be from one of their friends and asks them to click on what appears to be a YouTube video.
After clicking on one of the messages — which include "you look funny in this new video", "is it u there?" and "you're the whole show! i'm admired with you" — the user is presented with a link asking them to download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.
It is after clicking on the supposed Flash update that the worm is installed onto the computer.
The malware can then quickly seize a person's credit card details in two ways, according to Guy Bunker, a spokesman for anti-virus software company Symantec.
"It can either wait for you to buy something online and just remember the details you type in on your keyboard," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.
"Otherwise it can search your computer for any cookies you might have from when you've bought something in the past, and take them from there."
Koobface appears only to target Windows-based operating systems, with other systems including Apple apparently unaffected by the virus.
Security experts warn Koobface poses a greater threat than other viruses because users of social networking sites are more likely to trust information coming from within their account.
Facebook has posted a warning on its security page recommending affected users reset their password and download new anti-virus software.