Someone is using Orkut to spread Trojan links in a message disguised as an official e-mail from the Google-owned social network, according to an alert from security firm Websense released Tuesday.
The message, written in Portuguese to appeal to Orkut's many Brazilian members, looks like it is sent from an Orkut member who is looking for love, Websense says.
"The message contains several links that appear to lead to the official Orkut Web site. Clicking on a link actually leads to a malicious executable file, which is a Trojan Downloader named 'imagem.exe,'" the Websense alert says. "The malicious file opens the legitimate Orkut network log-in page, and in the background downloads a password stealing Trojan named 'msn.exe.'"
The Trojans are hosted on a compromised labor union Web site from southern Brazil, according to Websense.
A Google spokesman said the company was investigating the matter.
In this screenshot from Facetime, clicking the link for a photo album could get your computer infected.
(Credit: Facetime)In yet another new way to infect people, criminal hackers are using a Twitter page, according to one security researcher.
In a blog, Chris Boyd, director of malware research for Facetime, explained how a Twitter page is being used to lure victims. To lend credibility to his discovery, the Twitter page lists 17 followers, however each appeared to be fraudulent. Boyd said Twitter had been notified.
The messages, written in Portuguese, attempt to get visitors to download a photo album. In order to view the album, you'll need to download a Flash update, which is really the infection files themselves. Boyd and his team have identified the infection as Orkon.
Once installed, the infected files do various things to the compromised desktop, such as attempt to gain your Orkut account log-in information, or displaying a browser image of a man identifying himself as the "Trickster."
Orkut has been targeted in the past. Here, the infection itself is not so interesting, as is use of Twitter as a vector. Boyd recommends that even if you don't use Orkut, if you see a Twitter page referencing an Orkut photo album, stay away.
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