Image via CrunchBase, source unknown Facebook’s latest scourge, a video virus first noted earlier in August, appears to be gaining momentum. Over the weekend numerous people I know received messages with content similar to the message below:
Subject: Hey ya.
“Your ass looks not bad in this video.:
http://yo%75tu%62e.subd%6Fmen%79%2E%63om.pl/?a=F0F2EFE6E9ECE5AEE1EBAEE6E1E3E5E2EFEFEBAEE3EFEDAFF6B2B2B5AFB1B0B2B6AFB9B5AFF1B6B5B3B8B0B3B4B1B4DFB6B8B5B6AEEAF0E7&b=CDEFF5ECEFF5E4A0C1EFF5E1FA”
The link appears to be a standard Youtube-style video, but if clicked it prompts the unwitting recipient to download a new codec to play the video. At that point, the virus is installed, and begins to propagate itself, via Facebook email, to your Facebook address book.
Facebook has responded by making the links unreachable from within Facebook. Facebook also seems to be removing the emails from users inboxes proactively. I received one of the messages, and while I received notification from Facebook, by the time I checked my inbox this morning, the message was gone.
Users have complained about Facebook’s creaky email system for ages. Perhaps it’s time for a wholesale update with a safer and more useful feature set.
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Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry make Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
