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Facebook has announced a massive security issue affecting at least 50 million of its 2.23 billion active users. While the company is still investigating the issue, it already has taken steps to stop the exploit and protect users. Here’s what we know so far.
Update 9/29/18: Facebook has said that third-party apps were able to be accessed as well.
Facebook says its engineering team discovered a security threat that could allow a hacker “to steal Facebook access tokens which they could then use to take over people’s accounts.”
It’s unclear exactly when the accounts were breached, but Facebook discovered the issue on Tuesday, September 25. The issue stems from a change Facebook made to its video uploading feature in July 2017, so it’s possible the vulnerability went unnoticed for a long time.
This attack exploited the complex interaction of multiple issues in Facebook’s code, the company said. The attackers exploited a vulnerability in Facebook’s code related to the “View As” feature, which is designed to let users see how their profile appears on other people’s screens. If you used the feature, hackers were able to steal your access token and potentially take over your account.
An access token is the thing your browser uses to keep you logged in to your Facebook account after signing in once.
According to Facebook, the exploit was patched on Thursday, September 27.
Facebook has gone ahead and reset the access token for the 50 million users who were affected as well as another 40 million accounts “that have been subject to a “View As” look-up in the last year.” So, if you had to manually log in to your Facebook account on Friday, September 28, it’s likely your account was compromised.
Prior to FB learning of the hack, if the attackers were able to retrieve an access token for your account, they could theoretically log in to your account on their machine and have full access to it.
Facebook's vice president of product, Guy Rosen said on a conference call that hackers would also have access to any app that was linked to your account as well.
Facebook has temporarily disabled the feature as it conducts “a thorough security review.”
Facebook said it has “yet to determine whether these accounts were misused or any information accessed.” But if hackers had unfettered access to user accounts, it’s safe to say at least some data was compromised.
Definitely, yes. There’s no indication that the attackers were able to steal passwords directly, but changing it will ensure that any access they may have had to your account will be blocked.
Click the menu icon in the top-right corner of any Facebook page and select Settings.
Click Security and Login.
Click Edit next to Change Password.
Click Save Changes.
It's not a bad idea, especially if there are apps that you haven't used in a while. At the very least you should log out of any Facebook Login apps to reset the access token.
It might be too late for this attack, but there are many ways to limit your Facebook account. Or you can just delete or disable it altogether.
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“Spyware is any piece of software that collects and transmits information without the user’s consent and with covert methods,” shares Steven Solomon, co-founder and CTO of Arcutek. It is used to gather information on a target, usually passwords, credit card, and financial information, system files, and, in extreme cases, keylogging and screen capture, he says. Find out the clear signs you’re about to be hacked.
“A known approach to data collection is injecting attacker code to the target application,” says Lindsay Hull, Senior Strategist at Zer0 to 5ive. The result is an app may run slowly or crash frequently. Here are 17 everyday things you didn’t know could be hacked.
“If all of a sudden you have browser add-ins or plug-ins you don’t remember installing, your machine may be infected,” says Richard Ford, PhD, chief scientist at Forcepoint. “Often, these add-ins help an attacker monetize their access to your machine. Similarly, if the web now seems full of pop-up advertisements, you may be infected.”
“If you open your web browser and are taken to an unfamiliar page instead of your normal homepage, or if you type a search term into your browser, and another browser pops up with a list of websites for your search term, this could be a sign of spyware,” says Stacy M. Clements of Milepost 42. “This is especially true if you realize your browser settings have been modified and you are unable to change the settings.”
“Other signs of potential spyware are files appearing on your computer, or toolbars and tray icons that you didn’t install suddenly showing up,” Clements says. You may also find that your antivirus software or some system tools on your computer are unresponsive or don’t work properly.
Regularly updating your devices and its software helps ensure they are armed with critical patches that protect against bugs or flaws in their operating systems that cybercriminals can leverage. Though it’s tempting to skip out on these updates or put it off for a few days or even a few weeks, taking a few minutes to download them means you aren’t recklessly leaving your devices open for hackers. You’ll also want to know the phone call scams that you should avoid, too.
What to do!
The best way to avoid infection is to have a solid, reputable antivirus/antimalware program installed in your computer, says Troy Wilkinson, CEO of Axiom Cyber Solutions. Fortunately, even advanced antivirus/antimalware solutions are not expensive. “These cost just a couple of dollars a month, so there really is no valid reason not to use one. But if you get infected, spyware can run hidden in the background, silently collecting your information and could cost you hundreds or thousands in the long run.” Don’t miss the 26 secrets an identity thief doesn’t want you to know.
“Malicious software removal, including spyware, is part science and part art; it’s always tedious and never reliable,” says Greg Scott, cybersecurity expert and author. One popular fix is to run a Windows System Restore to revert your system back to a date just prior to when you started noticing the virus symptoms. “Unfortunately, some sophisticated spyware also corrupts the restore points, so this is not a universal fix,” Scott says.
Another popular fix is downloading, installing, and running a second antivirus package, like Malwarebytes, which is free to download and offers a manual scan. “Unfortunately, since the system is already compromised, it may not be possible to download and install yet another software package. And if this is a new spyware attack, antivirus solutions may not find it because its signature is unknown,” Scott explains. “Instead, it’s often more effective to make backup copies of all documents, scan those to make sure they’re clean, then wipe and rebuild the problem system.” Don’t miss these 10 ways to protect yourself online so you don’t fall victim to a scam.
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Security alert: Bogus tech-support phone calls
“Hello. This is 'Microsoft' Or 'Windows' Tech Support. Your PC has notified us that it has an infection.”
"The call is a scam — an extremely prevalent one."
Scams come and go, but this particular one seems to have staying power — and it’s spreading quickly. It’s now so common, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center) issued a Jan. 7 special alert, “New twist to online tech support scam.”
Microsoft flatly states:
“Neither Microsoft nor our partners make unsolicited phone calls (also known as cold calls) to charge you for computer security or software fixes. … Do not trust unsolicited calls. Do not provide any personal information.” (See the full text on Microsoft’s “Avoid tech support phone scams” page.)
For more information about how to recognize the type of scam Scott ran into, see the MS Safety & Security Center page, “Avoid scams that use the Microsoft name fraudulently.”
You’ll find additional ways to generally scam-proof yourself on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) site, “Telemarketing Scams.”
If you receive (or have already received) a scam-related phone call, the FTC requests you dial (toll-free) 1-877-FTC-HELP or (1-877-382-4357) or visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center site.
If you’re on the receiving end of an attempted scam via the Web (rather than by phone), file a complaint on the Internet Crime Complaint Center’s free website.
And here’s some preventive medicine that might help. Register all your phone numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry (free; site). This won’t stop all unsolicited calls, but it will stop most. If your number is on the Registry and you still get calls, they’re likely to be from scammers ignoring the law. In that case, call the FTC number listed above and file a complaint.
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A little paranoia can help keep us all safe!
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