Spyware Threats

MySpace Account Drops Fake Windows Update

Malware deployed by social networking profile

By Bogdan Popa, Security and Search Engines Editor

14th of January 2008, 19:31 GMT

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Last week, it was Secret Crush. Today, it is called Rita. Both of them are social networking components that may seriously damage people's computers. Secret Crush was a Facebook application that attempted to drop some sort of malware on vulnerable users' systems. Rita is somehow different. It is a MySpace registered member that tries to deploy a fake Windows Update patch containing numerous dangerous elements, starting with downloaders and ending with Trojan horses, The Register reported in an article published today.

According to the same source, Rita, a MySpace registered member, sends lots of invites to

other users of the social networking website in order to add her as friend. Once they have visited Rita's profile, unprotected computers are seriously threatened by a fake Windows update screen displayed every time the visitors click on the pictures, or anywhere around them. The malicious downloads are hosted in Malaysia and in Ukraine, The Register informs.

The McAfee researchers, the ones that already updated their security solution to provide protection against the fake Windows update patch, have contacted the social network in order to shut down the profile and keep users away from the dangerous account.

Just like any other MySpace user out there, you're probably asking which would be the solution to remain protected when visiting new profiles... Well, there's not such a solution, because not even the NoScript Firefox extension which was usually able to block such malicious attempts is able to stop the fake Windows Update screen.

Because I really want to see you on the safe side, please avoid visiting unknown MySpace profiles that attempt to add you as friends, as these days are full of such scams. In addition, you can install one of the solutions that have already been updated to provide protection against the malware - McAfee is just one of them, as the folks at The Register inform.

TAGS:

myspace | windows | update | malware | trojan

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User opinions:

Comment #1 by: steve harris on 29 Feb 2008, 03:11 GMT	reply to this comment
my daughter went to my space and it totally corrupted my pc. I can't even do a search for the word virus or avast or anything to that effect without ie7 crashing

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