Winamp Software Sends Spam Mails on Facebook

Facebook, the popular social-networking website, had just slightly strengthened its security, when another fresh e-mail spam struck it during the 3rd week of May 2010.

According to the reports, fresh software named Winamp, which perhaps a spurious creator named Kiley Hodge has developed, sent out junk e-mails to all the contacts of victimized users, talking of the sexiest video till date, as per the news published by techtree.com on May 17, 2010.

Evidently, during the 3rd weekend of May 2010, many Facebook users received a message notifying them of a novel wall post. Addressing the recipient by his username, the message tells that the attached link is undoubtedly the sexiest video seen ever.

Thus, the e-mail clearly seems to take advantage of innumerable teenagers' and the remaining population's inquisitiveness as they feel enticed to open the web-link for watching the video. However, whoever hits the link is told that his video player had become outdated and that it required updating. Consequently, users may simply hit on the link to approve it without even looking it.

Besides, on being clicked, the video gets posted onto all of the contacts' walls whose addresses are listed on the user's contact list. Similarly, the message too gets posted.
That's not all. The malicious link also plants an adware named Hotbar that produces adverts whilst Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer are open. Moreover, it plants skins for Outlook Express, Outlook and Internet Explorer and begins collecting user data.

Winamp software is another application on Facebook that like several others remains unidentified. Therefore, users are recommended that they should clean their accounts on Facebook off any unwanted or unknown software.

Meanwhile, attack on Facebook isn't new. Lately, a fresh Koobface version hit this social-networking website. Trend Micro, the security company, reported so during the 1st week of March 2010. According to the company, the worm creeps in through a web-link, supposedly directing to a video, that members receive from a buddy.

Security researchers, while commenting on these often occurring attacks, stated that despite the revolutionary efforts of Facebook towards creating a web-experience of browsing the site more socially, hackers have been able to exploit many vulnerabilities present within the Facebook software.

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» SPAMfighter News - 5/26/2010