Facebook Warns DNSChanger Victims of Possible Infections

Earlier this year Facebook joined the DNSChanger Working Group with the purpose of aiding potential victims with the cleaning process. To make sure that their users don’t lose Internet access on July 9, when the temporary DNS servers will be unplugged, the social media website has started warning customers whose devices are likely infected.

Affected members will be presented with an alert that informs them that their computers or networks are probably infected with the malware, pointing them to the DNSChanger Working Group website.

“Facebook's security teams primary concern is keeping users safe. By partnering with the DNSChanger Working Group, Facebook is able to raise awareness about this particular malware. Of particular concern to everyone, is preventing users of infected computers from losing their access to the Internet on July 9, 2012,” Facebook Security writes.

Numerous alerts and advisories have been issued by security firms, Google, and even the DHS, on the threats posed by the malware. Even though the cybercriminals behind the campaign have been arrested and the number of affected devices has dropped considerably, according to the latest statistics, there still are a few hundred thousand victimized machines.

If your computer is infected with DNSChanger, or if you simply want to check for signs of the malware, you can use one of the tools provided by the DNSChanger Working Group.

Also, a few days ago, F-Secure made available DNS Check, a clever tool that looks for the threat and resets the DNS settings in case it finds traces of the malicious element.

More information on DNS Check and the download link are available here.

For those who aren’t aware of what DNSChanger is, when the infection broke out, and how the cybercriminals where apprehended can check out our previous articles on the topic.