Facebook Virus Posting from My Profile

by Berta Bilbao | September 3, 2015 | 0 Comments botnet, browser hijacker, data theft, facebook, Facebook Virus, rogue application

Threat Summary Why Is This Facebook Virus So Effective?More about Facebook Virus How To Eradicate Facebook Virus and Countermeasure It?Remove Facebook Virus from Windows and Browsers

Ah, if it isn’t the Facebook virus variants that have been reported to post on the users behalf. Its variants are spread so often that there may be a chance one of every three people to have seen them. The virus usually features a video with an excellent thumbnail picture of a viral video that just wants you to click it. Like many would say, curiosity killed the cat. In this case, curiosity infects the cat i.e. the user. I mean, face it you wanted to watch that man getting eaten by an alligator or just peek from the video with the beautiful girl performing the Ice Bucket Challenge. Well, don’t worry, because after explaining what it may be capable of, we will show you how to remove any traces of this virus from your machine and protect yourself from it.

Threat Summary

Name	Facebook Virus
Type	Malicious smartphone application or browser extension
Short Description	A complicated virus which primarily posts on your behalf in social networks, but also may employ malware.
Symptoms	Postings of viral videos on your behalf in Facebook. Sending messages to friends with malicious web links in them. Suspicious browser extension in your web browser.
Distribution Method	Via social networks.
Detection Tool	See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware Download Malware Removal Tool
User Experience	Join Our Forum to Discuss Facebook Virus.

Why Is This Facebook Virus So Effective?

The reason it works is the cleverness of the campaign created by the cyber criminals. It primarily involves a browsing extension. In our case, it was named YouTube Ex, resembling a fake youtube video plugin, without which we couldn’t check the video we clicked on. What this particular threat does is that it may obtain the user’s name and password only to execute malicious scripts that may either infect the computer with malware or continue spamming on user’s behalf. In case you start seeing weird posts and your friends begin to complain that you send them weird messages, it is a clear signal to do something about this virus.

More about Facebook Virus

There are many variants of this virus. One particular version redirects to a third-party website (qajvideo.s3-website-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/arnqw/index.html) which was using amazon web service, when clicked on the interesting video. Cyber-criminals create all types of temporary links that are either closed by them after they finish their illegal campaigns or by authorities.

More to it than that it resembled an actual video from youtube along with the play icon and so on and so forth. When clicked on, the site prompted a download the malicious application. What most users tend to disregard about such apps is the read and write permissions they want from the user prone to installation. They give them the authority to install anything from PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) via tracking technologies like cookies, beacons and LSOs (Local Shared Objects) all the way to malware on the machine.

What is worse is that this type of threat is not only present in computers. It involves phone applications as well. It may infect android, iOS, Windows mobile, Cyanogen mod(Android) and other types phone operating systems. What it may do on a phone varies depending on what it has been coded to do:

Obtain its full contact list.
In case the phone user has Apple, Google, Microsoft accounts, obtain their credentials and the credentials of the emails associated with them.
Obtain other all of the saved passwords in the phone (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
Steal all of the phone’s messages from messaging services (Facebook Messenger, Viber, WattsApp, SMS)
Tap into the phone’s microphone to listen in on and off calls.
Steal information from the phone’s browser, like passwords, etc.
Interact with the phone’s applications, widgets, etc.
Disable any of the phone’s antivirus and firewall applications.
Send messages to expensive SMS services to charge the user money.

It depends on the app. Some applications may not install malware that does the abovementioned damages to your information and phone. Some are created to remain unnoticed for a long time and not only post spam messages in Facebook but also generate traffic from the smartphone’s behalf. This type of behavior is present when phone botnets are being developed for specific purposes.

More to it than that, if such application contains malware it may download mobile ransomware on the computer, like SimleLocker for example. What this type of attack does is that locks the user out of his phone and encrypts his important files with the one and only purpose of making him/her pay to unlock it. There are variants of ransomware that encrypt the memory stick of the user if there is such. Over 18 million dollars have been paid as ransom money only for last year, and it is not to be underestimated in any way.

How To Eradicate Facebook Virus and Countermeasure It?

We have set up removal manuals for both your Android smartphone as well as your Windows PC. However, in case you want to be protected from this virus, even the best anti-malware program may not be able to help you, if you do not pay attention to the locations you visit. This is why you should take into consideration yourself as a factor. Always keep up to date with the latest online threats so you won’t become a victim. Also, it is advisable to protect yourself with an anti-malware program and update it as well as your Windows. This increases your protection significantly, because, like Windows Firewall, an anti-malware program needs the latest definitions to improve in finding anything out of the ordinary in your PC.

To eradicate Facebook Virus from your smartphone it is important back up all the important data on your smartphone either externally or in the cloud first. Then, you should follow this tutorial.

Boot Your Smartphone into Safe Mode:

For RAZR Droid Devices:

1. Switch off the smartphone and remove the battery for a few seconds then plug it back in.

2. Switch the phone on.

3. You should see a Motorola Dual Core screen appearing. You should press and hold the Volume up, and Volume Down keys on the side of the smartphone. Hold them until the lock screen shows up with ‘Safe Mode’ written in the lower corner.

For HTC Devices:

1. Switch off the smartphone and remove the battery for a few seconds then plug it back in.

2. Turn on your phone while simultaneously holding down the Menu Button. When it starts, keep pressing the Menu Button until you see ‘Safe Mode’ menu appearing in the lower corner.

For Nexus devices:

1. Switch off the smartphone and remove the battery for a few seconds then plug it back in.
2. Turn on the phone.
3. When the welcome Logo Screen shows up, hold the trackball while pressing it until a lock screen shows up, or you see ‘Safe Mode’ written in the bottom corner.

For Other Motorola Devices:

1.Switch off the smartphone and remove the battery for a few seconds then plug it back in.
2.Hold down the Menu Button after you press it while turning on the phone. When it boots, hold the button down upon seeing the lock screen or feeling the phone vibrate.

For Moto G Devices:
1. Press the Power Button and hold it on until the list with options pop-up.
2. Hold the Power off button and wait for a ‘Reboot to Safe Mode’ option to appear.
3. Tap it and let the phone reset.

For Samsung Galaxy Devices:

1. While the device is on, hold down the Power Button and wait for the Options List.
2. Wait for a ‘Restart to Safe Mode’ option to appear.
3. Choose this setting. The device will restart.

After you have backed up your files, you should perform a clean wipe-out of your phone. This can happen either via one of the options in Safe Mode or by entering your device’s Recovery Mode. Several methods exist in order to enter Recovery Mode of your device:

For Nexus Devices: – Hold the Volume Down + Volume Up + Power button until a Recovery menu appears. After that, you should select the Wipe Data/Factory reset option. Nexus 4 may work with Volume Up + Power + Volume Down.

For Samsung Devices: – Hold the Volume Up + Power Button + Home Button until a Recovery menu appears. After that, you should select the Wipe Data/Factory reset option.

For Motorola Droid X Devices: Hold the Home Button + Power Button until a Recovery menu appears. After that, you should select the Wipe Data/Factory reset setting.

For other devices with camera buttons on them: Hold the Volume Up + Camera Button until a Recovery Menu appears. After this, you should choose the Wipe Data/Factory reset option.

Also in case you have backed up your device in a Google Account, you will be able to restore your data after a complete wipe-out by just logging into your Google Account with you email and password.

Remove Facebook Virus from Windows and Browsers

To remove Facebook Virus manually from your computer, follow the step-by-step removal instructions provided below. In case the manual removal does not get rid of the hijacker redirect and its files completely, you should search for and remove any leftovers with an advanced anti-malware tool. Such a program can keep your computer safe in the future. Change your passwords after removing the threat.

Berta Bilbao

Berta is a dedicated malware researcher, dreaming for a more secure cyber space. Her fascination with IT security began a few years ago when a malware locked her out of her own computer.

Guide 1: How to Remove Facebook Virus from Windows.
Guide 2: Get rid of Facebook Virus on Mac OS X.
Guide 3: Remove Facebook Virus in Google Chrome.

Guide 4: Erase Facebook Virus from Mozilla Firefox.
Guide 5: Uninstall Facebook Virus from Microsoft Edge.
Guide 6: Remove Facebook Virus from Safari.
Guide 7: Eliminate Facebook Virus from Internet Explorer.
Guide 8: Disable Facebook Virus Push Notifications in Your Browsers.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

How to Remove Facebook Virus from Windows.

Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Facebook Virus

OFFER

Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!

We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter's malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter's EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria

1. Hold Windows key() + R

2. The "Run" Window will appear. In it, type "msconfig" and click OK.

3. Go to the "Boot" tab. There select "Safe Boot" and then click "Apply" and "OK".

Tip: Make sure to reverse those changes by unticking Safe Boot after that, because your system will always boot in Safe Boot from now on.

4. When prompted, click on "Restart" to go into Safe Mode.

5. You can recognise Safe Mode by the words written on the corners of your screen.

Step 2: Uninstall Facebook Virus and related software from Windows

Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:

1. Hold the Windows Logo Button and "R" on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear.

2. In the field type in "appwiz.cpl" and press ENTER.

3. This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC. Select the program that you want to remove, and press "Uninstall"

Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.

Step 3: Clean any registries, created by Facebook Virus on your computer.

The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by Facebook Virus there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:

1. Open the Run Window again, type "regedit" and click OK.

2. When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.

3. You can remove the value of the virus by right-clicking on it and removing it.

Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.

IMPORTANT!
Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.

Step 4: Scan for Facebook Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter's EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.

2. After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.

3. After the update process has finished, click on the 'Malware/PC Scan' tab. A new window will appear. Click on 'Start Scan'.

4. After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the 'Next' button.

If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Get rid of Facebook Virus from Mac OS X.

Step 1: Uninstall Facebook Virus and remove related files and objects

OFFER

Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!

We Recommend To Scan Your Mac with SpyHunter for Mac

Keep in mind, that SpyHunter for Mac needs to purchased to remove the malware threats. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy

1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:

2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:

3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to Facebook Virus:

Tip: To quit a process completely, choose the “Force Quit” option.

4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.

5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to Facebook Virus. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.

6: Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference. Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to Facebook Virus. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.

7: Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:

Go to Finder.
In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.

In case you cannot remove Facebook Virus via Step 1 above:

In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:

Disclaimer! If you are about to tamper with Library files on Mac, be sure to know the name of the virus file, because if you delete the wrong file, it may cause irreversible damage to your MacOS. Continue on your own responsibility!

1: Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:

2: Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:

3: Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as Facebook Virus. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.

You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:

→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons

Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.

Step 2: Scan for and remove Facebook Virus files from your Mac

When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Facebook Virus, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.

Click the button below below to download SpyHunter for Mac and scan for Facebook Virus:

Download

SpyHunter for Mac

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Remove Facebook Virus from Google Chrome.

Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu

Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"

Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.

Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Erase Facebook Virus from Mozilla Firefox.

Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window

Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.

Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"

Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Uninstall Facebook Virus from Microsoft Edge.

Step 1: Start Edge browser.

Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.

Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".

Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.

Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Remove Facebook Virus from Safari.

Step 1: Start the Safari app.

Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.

Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".

Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.

Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.

Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.

A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the Facebook Virus will be removed.

How to Reset Safari
IMPORTANT: Before resetting Safari make sure you back up all your saved passwords within the browser in case you forget them.

Start Safari and then click on the gear leaver icon.

Click the Reset Safari button and you will reset the browser.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Eliminate Facebook Virus from Internet Explorer.

Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.

Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'

Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.

Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.

Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.