Beware Of Windows/Macos/Linux Virus Spreading Through Facebook Messenger

If y'all came across whatsoever Facebook message alongside a video link sent past times anyone, fifty-fifty your friend — simply don’t click on it.

Security researchers at Kaspersky Lab convey spotted an ongoing cross-platform crusade on Facebook Messenger, where users have a video link that redirects them to a mistaken website, luring them to install malicious software.

Although it is however unclear how the malware spreads, researchers believe spammers are using compromised accounts, hijacked browsers, or clickjacking techniques to spread the malicious link.

The attackers brand purpose of social technology scientific discipline to fob users into clicking the video link, which purports to endure from i of their Facebook friends, alongside the message that reads "< your friend bring upward > Video" followed past times a bit.ly link, every bit shown.

Here's How this Cross-Platform Malware Works:

The URL redirects victims to a Google medico that displays a dynamically generated video thumbnail, similar a playable movie, based on the sender's images, which if clicked, farther redirects users to about other customised landing page depending upon their browser as well as operating system.

For example, Mozilla Firefox users on Windows are redirected to a website displaying a mistaken Flash Player Update notice, as well as and thus offered a Windows executable, which is flagged every bit adware software.

Google Chrome users are redirected to a website that masquerades every bit YouTube alongside similar YouTube logo, which displays a mistaken error message popup, tricking victims into downloading a malicious Chrome extension from the Google Web Store.

The extension truly is a downloader that downloads a file of attacker's alternative to the victim's computer.

"At the fourth dimension of writing, the file which should convey been downloaded was non available," David Jacoby, a principal safety researcher from Kaspersky Lab, writes inwards a spider web log postal service published today.

"One interesting finding is that the Chrome Extension has log files from the developers displaying usernames. It is unclear if this is related to the campaign, but it is however an amusing slice of information."

Users of Apple Mac OS X Safari ends upward on a spider web page similar to when using Firefox, but it was customised for MacOS users alongside a mistaken update for Flash Media Player, which if clicked, downloads an OSX executable .dmg file, which is besides adware.

Same inwards instance of Linux, user redirects to about other landing page designed for Linux users.

The attackers behind the crusade are non truly infecting users of all platform alongside whatsoever banking Trojan or exploit kits, but alongside adware to brand a lot of coin past times generating revenue from ads.

Spam campaigns on Facebook are quite common. H5N1 few years ago, researchers flora cyber criminals using boobytrapped .JPG image files to cover their malware inwards lodge to infect Facebook users alongside variants of the Locky ransomware, which encrypts all files on the infected PC until a ransom is paid.

To proceed yourself safe, y'all are advised non to larn curious to hold back at images or video links sent past times anyone, fifty-fifty your friend, without verifying it alongside them, as well as ever proceed your antivirus software up-to-date.