Social Network Virus

Steyr

Hi all,

I hope the mods dont mind me saying this but please beware of a virus that is currently messing with Facebook and other Networking sites, it's called the Koobface Virus and was also on Bebo some time ago, it will send you private mails that seem to come from your friends when its no them sending it in the first place so please ignore and delete them, myself and my mates got stung by this but thanks to the fells in the "Virus and Malware Removal" Forum all is well again so please beware.

Thanks.

MagicMarker

I want to shake the hand of the man/woman who made this virus.

Pygmalion

Anyone else read that as "Knobface Virus"?

stovelid

I think I've got one. I joined Facebook and my computer has been inundated with friend requests from people I hardly know.

electrogrimey

Apparently you get an email saying 'you look funny in this video', then links you to a random dodgy site, and asks you to download something.

On a related note, I just ordered some medicine from a reputable site called 'you'r love will be long and satisfyingly'. I'm very excited about it.

sceptre

It's been around for a year. Electrogrimey's description is a good example of the mail that somehow lures people into it.

Poor Uncle Tom

sceptre wrote: »

It's been around for a year.

Syphilis has been around longer then that I'm afraid.....

sceptre

Poor Uncle Tom wrote: »

Syphilis has been around longer then that I'm afraid.....

It has. Though you fail both the funneh and relevance tests I'm afraid.

Liam Byrne

MagicMarker wrote: »

I want to shake the hand of the man/woman who made this virus.

Why ? Anyone who writes viruses and hacks computers should be buried in a slurry pit - alive!

electrogrimey

sceptre wrote: »

It's been around for a year.

Did it come about this August or last August? CNET said something about August, I assumed it was a new thing if it only just hit AH Breaking News.

Poor Uncle Tom

sceptre wrote: »

It has. Though you fail both the funneh and relevance tests I'm afraid.

Can't win 'em all :rolleyes:

Basq

To be honest.. I've gotten these dodgy looking e-mails a couple of times.

They both contain shocking grammar and spelling.. and if you're stupid enough to click on the link after reading them, you deserve what you get!

One has the message attached (and I quote):

Saw thatt viddeo the otherr day.... Did you reallyy do that??

Another had (again, a quote):

"Nicce! Youur bootyy lookks awessome on thiis video!!

And seeing as how that last one was from one of my cousins.. I'm both turned on, feeling a tad dirty, proud of the compliment and highly confused!

sceptre

electrogrimey wrote: »

Did it come about this August or last August? CNET said something about August, I assumed it was a new thing if it only just hit AH Breaking News.

Nope. Even the current facebook variant (W32/Koobfa-Gen) hit in March and that's also the one that's rolling around bebo, facebook, friendster etc. The original worm is older and still infects myspace, closely related to the original facebook variant. They're from last December. There's a variant that only affects Twitter (WORM_KOOBFACE.DC), that got listed in April if that helps as a more recent thing, though it's also the main site that isn't listed by the OP. Four variants in total. Strange links shouldn't be clicked on, even if they come from friends (especially if your friends are likely to be the kind of person that might click on strange links from friends - and we all have some of those). They only affect Windows and even the MS malicious software removal tool cleans all of those four variants if it's kept up to date.

Quazzie

Its a rehash of the same thing the lead to the downfall of Bebo last year. Lets hope it does the same to Facebook.

jester77

Install a linux distro or get a mac!

QED

Basq

jester77 wrote: »

Install a linux distro or get a mac!

Or just don't click strange links from friends.. especially those that have messages with bastardised English attached!

PS - but yes - god bless my Mac!

Pygmalion

jester77 wrote: »

Install a linux distro or get a mac!

QED

Problem is, they have terrible support for Windows executables, so it'd take a bit of effort to get the virus installed, and AFAIK it wouldn't be able to start up automatically each time you boot your computer.

Damn Linux and it's incompatibility with all the common Windows programs.

Bob_Harris

jester77 wrote: »

Install a linux distro or get a mac!

QED

Do you really think someone stupid enough to get caught out by this kind of social engineering would have any clue on how to:

A) Install a Linux distro

Use a Linux distro

I know Linux in the form of Ubuntu and others are pretty easy to use these days, but these people are pretty stupid.

Bob_Harris

basquille wrote: »

PS - but yes - god bless my Mac!

Yeah your overpriced mac is so superior.

You do know a mac is "more secure" solely for the reason that it's share is so insignificant that no-one would bother wasting their time writing a virus for it.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Bob_Harris wrote: »

Yeah your overpriced mac is so superior.

You do know a mac is "more secure" solely for the reason that it's share is so insignificant that no-one would bother wasting their time writing a virus for it.

Who cares if you're not under the risk of getting a virus on your computer? And I say that as a Windows user.

GLaDOS

basquille wrote: »

They both contain shocking grammar and spelling.. and if you're stupid enough to click on the link after reading them, you deserve what you get!

Yeah but the people who are stupid enough to click those links would consider that normal writing

electrogrimey

sceptre wrote: »

Nope. Even the current facebook variant (W32/Koobfa-Gen) hit in March and that's also the one that's rolling around bebo, facebook, friendster etc. The original worm is older and still infects myspace, closely related to the original facebook variant. They're from last December.

Was about to argue when I re-read this

A worm responsible for sending Facebook users malicious code appears to be limited in nature, although the social engineering attack may be used again, say experts.
Facebook representative Barry Schnitt said the worm isn't new; it dates back to August, although the variant that first appeared on Wednesday targets only Facebook users.

But then I saw this:

December 4, 2008 4:36 PM PST

Ha ha. Thread's a good year too late. And yeah, anyone who gets stung with one of these viruses deserves it for being as silly as to download something that's clearly dodgy. (No offence OP).

Basq

Let's not turn this into "Tech Talk" but..

Bob_Harris wrote: »

Yeah your overpriced mac is so superior.

The ol' "overpriced mac" bit.. hugely original. Compare that to the hours wasted scanning for viruses, adware, malware etc... and I'm happy to pay that bit more!

Bob_Harris wrote: »

You do know a mac is "more secure" solely for the reason that it's share is so insignificant that no-one would bother wasting their time writing a virus for it.

I'm well aware.. and I'm happy to leave it that way!

The only reason I'm still in a job doing IT is due to those "reasonably priced" Windows machines dropped into me weekly to be cleaned - there's a reason applications there's no Mac equivalents for the likes of Spybot, HijackThis and Ad-Aware.

Bob_Harris

basquille wrote: »

The ol' "overpriced mac" bit.. hugely original. Compare that to the hours wasted scanning for viruses, adware, malware etc... and I'm happy to pay that bit more!

I've never wasted a minute scanning for viruses or ad-ware. I could easily use a Windows system without an Anti-virus and never get it infected.

MagicMarker

Bob_Harris wrote: »

I've never wasted a minute scanning for viruses or ad-ware. I could easily use a Windows system without an Anti-virus and never get it infected.

Yeah, but Mac's are sexier.

D4RK ONION

Pygmalion wrote: »

Problem is, they have terrible support for Windows executables, so it'd take a bit of effort to get the virus installed, and AFAIK it wouldn't be able to start up automatically each time you boot your computer.

Damn Linux and it's incompatibility with all the common Windows programs.

The thing is, linux tends to have alternative (and often superior) programs for all the common ones. You should give a live CD a try anyway. Linux laughs in the face of viruses! LAUGHS!

Pygmalion

D4RK ONION wrote: »

The thing is, linux tends to have alternative (and often superior) programs for all the common ones. You should give a live CD a try anyway. Linux laughs in the face of viruses! LAUGHS!

I was being sarcastic (hence the "oh no my viruses won't work"), been using it for the last 3 years. In fact I'd say I've very rarely used Windows in the last 1.5 to 2 years.

mink_man

ya its annoying alright!!

-Leelo-

I keep getting these on Facebook from my friends sister - Most recent one saying - Hey duuude, your on candidd caaamera.
I wasn't

Kiith

The only virus anyone should get while online is the one they will inevitably get while downloading tons of porn. Any other reason for getting a virus is just stupid.

actuallylike

How do they get into your account, I haven't been gotten yet but loads of my friends have. Are they clicking on links or are they leaving their details on a public computer or what?

mink_man

its kinda obvious its not your feriend thats sendint hem tho "hey dude, your butt looks great in this!"