Facebook Falling Prey to Porn-Based Malware

‘Don’t click on Facebook porn links’ is, generally, a good rule to live by, but it is doubly true right now: porn-based malware is spreading across the social network, infecting over 110,000 in just two days.

The malware is disguised as a YouTube video, but one that supposedly requires a Flash update (a giveaway in itself since, in the last few days, YouTube dumped Flash in favour of HTML5). Clicking on the link to download the Flash update will install a Trojan on your system that can override your keyboard and mouse, and then proliferate the malicious link on your Facebook profile.

Facebook has issued the following statement on the matter:

We use 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.

Source: Gizmodo