First published: 31st October 2008
Anti-Virus developers F-Secure report that Facebook is being used to distribute malware, particularly among Hong Kong users. Victims receive message on Facebook from a "friend" inviting them to visit a hi5.com site to view a video. Attempting to start the video produces a message that the victim should update their Adobe Flash Player by downloading a file. Naturally, the file is malware, in one case Net-Worm.Win32.Koobface.bp, but that might vary. Users might be more trusting, as the initial message appears to come from a 'friend'.
In general, software like the Adobe Flash Player should only be updated from the developer's site. Preferably, the identity of the site should be verified, e.g., by checking the SSL certificate details.