Beware Spyware Facebook Application Called “Error Check System”
General February 21st, 2009
LATEST UPDATE: There appears to be a new phishing scam on Facebook, please check out this post too.
Update, 7:21PM: Barely a couple of hours after I posted this, I already have gotten 4 16 54 a lot of Google searches about it. Also, the number of my infected Facebook friends has doubled. Please also digg this if you feel this information is useful so that it can reach a wider audience.
OH HAI! NOTIZES GENERATED BY SPAIZWARE
Warning: There’s a new spyware/malware/worm/malicious application called “Error Check System” (sometimes mispelled as “Error System Check” on Facebook. I came across an unusual notification recently while browsing Facebook (see picture on the right).
What errors could there possibily be in my profile? Perhaps my profile picture was too handsome? I quickly decided it could not be the case, because if it were, the error should have happened much earlier from the time I uploaded my first picture. Kidding.
But seriously. First off, the grammar was wrong. The word ‘Messages’ should have been pluralized, instead of ‘Errors’.
And also, what possible errors could there be with a profile?
And really…wouldn’t Facebook notify you of errors somewhere else besides the Notifications pane?
So I did some looking around to see if it was legit. Take note of the captions in red btw.
So anyway, I clicked ahead, and I saw this:
FAKE APPLIKASHUN IS FAKE
Curious, I checked out the application page. My guess was right, it definitely was not a legit/official Facebook application (captions added in red). The ‘Facebook Error Check System’ is not made by Facebook.
IM IN YR FACEBOOK, STEALINGZ YR INFOZ
You’ll notice that the rogue app acts pretty fast. The same Facebook friends of mine who inadvertedly added the app are the same ones who appeared in the Notifications panel earlier.
I did a Google search to confirm my findings, and found that it was probably a very new malware application – there only seemed to be 6 results in total for “error check system” facebook app. One of the pages however, was useful and led me to this page on Yahoo Answers.
I CAN HAZ ANSWERZ?
So whatever you do, do not add this application to your Facebook Apps!
DO NOT WANT! APPLIKASHUN IS SPAIWAREZ!
Whatever you do, don’t add it. If you already have it, do remove it from your Facebook Applications list. While the effects are yet to be known, you definitely do not want a spyware app to have your profile information, photos, friends information, and other content.
Update 22 Feb 2009: Removal Instructions
1. You can see if the application has accidentally been installed by checking out the Facebook Edit Apps Page (make sure you’re logged in when you click that)
2. If it has, just get rid of it by clicking the ‘x’ on the right hand side of the application name.
3. Facebook will prompt a confirmation message. Then, click ‘Remove’
4. You’re done! It’s gone!
Update: 22 Feb, 4:10AM: There seems to be another site showing up quite high in the related google searches for this spyware app. And that site is a spyware site itself! and it will pretend to scan your computer – it will prompt you to install a malicious executable file (.exe program). It looks convincing, but it is not legit. DO NOT visit 2009022112.kajdoo.bee.pl/facebook_error_check_system.html , it is a SCAM!
Be safe, and happy poking! This message is brought to you by www.josh.my
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i knew this was dodgy!
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[...] Josh Lim wrote an interesting post today on Beware Spyware Facebook Application Called â
Damn, I was so damn stupid to click on that stupid piece of spyware and sent to a few persons!!
But in the Applications List in Facebook, I can’t see the program at all!
How am I going to remove it? Thanks for the help.
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thanks for the advice!
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Thnx josh for sharing. also thnx to streamyx terrible loading speed in the past few days so I didnt get to install the application successfulli :p
[Reply]
[...] informazioni sull’applicazione “Error Check System” di Facebook , leggete il blog di Josh Lim, inoltre sono nati molti gruppi sul sito di social networking per avvertire della [...]
thnx for da mail
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[...] actual text of the message reads: “[Name] has faced some errors when checking your profile View The Errors [...]
i activated that application…………….. what will happen?
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I accidentally added it, but was talking to someone else on facebook using chat…. when they mentioned me seeing errors on their prof (which I hadn’t visited) I immediately changed my pass and deleted it.
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Here is another one starting up on FACEBOOK – today I received this notification from a friend.
__________________________________
(name of person) just reported your profile as it is in violation of Terms and Conditions! Click for Details
__________________________________
Of course do not add…. DO NOT CLICK ON THIS SPYWARE
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There’s a new variant of this, same spyware MO.
It’s called “Click for Details”.
The spam message looks like this:
“[your friend] just reported your profile as it is in violation of Terms and Conditions! Click for Details”
[Reply]
[...] Totally didn’t expect it, but guess what – I got quoted in the Straits Times Singapore! This was due to my blog post on the Facebook ‘Error Check System’ malware. [...]
[...] Gli autori di questo worm, per aumentare la percentuale di gente da infettare hanno creato anche moltissime false pagine web con parole chiavi quali “Error Check System”, quindi facendo una ricerca su google questi falsi siti appaiono ai primi posti e a loro volta rediriggono il malcapitato su siti infetti che fanno la promozione di rogue software Ecco a cosa assomiglia la gigantesca trappola che viene tesa ai malcapitati; http://blog.spywareguide.com/2009/02/facebook-error-check-system-ca.html http://josh.my/2009/02/beware-spyware-facebook-application-called-error-check-system/ [...]
Thanks for the info, i’ve now put this on my Facebook profile warning everyone of the evil hoax…
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[...] back, you may remember that I blogged about the Facebook ‘Error Check System’ malware. There are now new ones that have cropped up, and most disturbingly, they seem to be able to send [...]
[...] occasionally blog about security, and in fact, was the first worldwide to break the news about the Facebook “Error Check System” rogue application. That post alone got over 12,000 visits, got me interviewed in the Singapore [...]
Bonjour josh.my!
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Thank You Josh for sharing this information and giving us advice. I also encountered with same problem.
[Reply]
[...] actual text of the message reads: “[Name] has faced some errors when checking your profile View The Errors [...]