Hackers Could Gain Control of Your Computer Through Facebook
Posted by Anthony LaFauce on February 1st, 2008 10:07 AMGregg Keizer, of ComputerWorld, is reporting that a serious security flaw in ActiveX, the Microsoft software that controls social sites like Facebook and Myspace, can be used by hackers to penetrate unsuspecting users’ computers.
The hack itself comes from a similar product that Facebook and Myspace use to upload images from Internet Explorer. These image loading tools are based on a commercial product from a company named Aurigma Inc who stated they were expecting to fix the bug in a few hours.
The actual details of the hack are far more mundane when compared to something you might see in a movie involving a super computer called WOPR, but the emergence of this hack brings some interesting questions to light.
According to the report the bug was patched last November by ActiveX 5.0 but only coming to light today from releases attributed to major security firms. Keep in mind programs like Secret Crush, and one has to begin wondering about security from social networks on another level.
Hackers look for easy targets and lots of them. Sites like Facebook and Myspace offer hackers a target rich environment. Think about the population of Facebook, most are causal computer users, who turn to social networks as a way to relax.
We all know about Phishing and spyware that litter the internet, but if hackers begin to exploit more and more holes in Facebook will its users turn away? If you suddenly began getting viruses from Facebook would you still use the service?
Update:
Shortly after this post I received official word that both Myspace and Facebook were working on the problem.
“MySpace and Facebook are firmly committed to keeping all users as safe and secure as possible. Recently, the companies were alerted to a vulnerability in Aurigma Imaging Technology’s software that could potentially put certain users with Windows-based systems at risk. Immediately after identifying a solution Facebook, MySpace and Aurigma collaborated to resolve the issue and are working to individually alert users of any additional steps that need to be taken to ensure user security.”
I had no doubt that all parties involved would work quickly to solve this potential problem. It is important to remember, if there is something good out there that people like to use, other people will try to destroy it. I commend all three companies on working together to try to solve this problem quickly and correctly.
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