Malware attacks are becoming more and more frequent and the newest danger is aimed at Facebook and YouTube accounts, which can cause great damage to their users. We are talking about S1ideload Stealer, a virus discovered by Bitdefender researchers.
Experts say that S1ideload Stealer has been active since 2022 and has been responsible for over 600 unique infections in the last half of 2022. The malware uses infected .exe files that masquerade as program installers to infiltrate a user’s computer.
Once installed, S1ideload Stealer searches for Facebook and YouTube login and password credentials to steal users’ accounts, in addition to using the machine for cryptocurrency mining for criminals, significantly reducing computer performance.
The Bitdefender Advanced Threat Control (ATC) team advises that users never install applications or programs from unknown sources, as S1ideload Stealer uses social engineering to spread itself through comments on Facebook and YouTube, where potential victims are.
Executables are usually distributed through adult-oriented programs in compressed .zip files. The malware even uses a technique of parallel loading Windows DLLs, which makes detection and removal difficult.
S1ideload Stealer multiplies itself by installing and opening Google Chrome windows in the background, through which it accesses the stolen account and posts comments encouraging others to download the infected file.
In addition to Facebook and YouTube, ChatGPT has also become a decoy for criminals to spread malware on the internet.
