Facebook Virus Alert for Password Reset Confirmation Email
Another new virus is spreading through social networks, this time, via Facebook. This one – known as Bredolab – masks itself as a “Password Reset Confirmation Email,” appears to come from Facebook, and attaches a file that purports to contain a new password.
That file is actually a trojan horse that will download a host of nasty files from the Web and infect your computer with them.
“Bredolab is a Trojan Horse that downloads and executes files from the Internet, such as rogue anti-spyware. To bypass firewalls, it injects its own code into legitimate processes svchost.exe and explorer.exe. Bredolab contains anti-sandbox code (the Trojan might quit itself when an external program investigates its actions).”
The way to avoid this one: if you didn’t request your password from Facebook, there’s no reason you should be getting a password reset confirmation email, so don’t open it.
Further, even if you did, Facebook would not send your new password as an attachment. Finally, f you’re still not sure, take a look at the full details of the email – if the mail server’s don’t belong to Facebook, you know the message is not legit.
Has your FB account ever been attacked?
Tags: facebook, viral, virus
27. October 2009 at 12:00 pm :
Yes, several times. Fortunately enough I’m a Mac user, so viruses have no effect on my OS. Until today, but Facebook is not involved in that. It came via email.
Alex
27. October 2009 at 6:39 pm :
To AAA: Just so you know, OSX and other operating systems like BeeOS, OS2 and anyother operating system is not immune to viruses. The thing about viruses, worms, trojan horses, etc., is that the deviants that create them want to do maximum damage with them, so they write them to target the mass. With that said, if 90% of the world uses Windows that is the best target. A much more concerted effort is put forth by a whole community of mal-ware programmers to reek havoc. If the user base of OSX ever becomes mainstream, you can bet on a more persistent attempt to breach it. Being that OSX is built on BSD it may be more difficult, but I would give kudos to the original writers and Berkley for doing such a good job and less kudos to Steve Jobs.
5. November 2009 at 9:48 pm :
How about if we try not putting an anti-virus on a MAC OS? If the virus won’t come any nearer, then let me announce it’s awesome. Come on dear don’t be too pathetic about the so-called VIP operating system.
16. November 2009 at 1:26 am :
Oh wow, I received that virus 2 weeks ago and I really was wondering what was up with that. Guess that explains it. I was very suspicious thankfully.
26. January 2010 at 12:04 pm :
No OS is safe completely. Though some, like the MAC may be less prone, eventually viruses will be made to exploit the system code like everything else.
The trick is not to fall into simple but effective traps like phishing. If it looks wrong, behaves differently, seems random or you’re just not sure, don’t click/open/run it.
15. March 2010 at 1:56 pm :
Thanks for the warning. I really don’t understand what people who make these viruses get out of doing it. All they do is make life difficult for everyone else. I’m always very careful with emails like this but its very easy to be caught out at times…
12. June 2010 at 4:35 pm :
I’ve noticed a number of strange messages with Facebook lately. I’ve also received a lot more spammy friend requests than I did in the past…thanks for informing me of this new virus.