Meta Platforms, the parent company of social platforms like Facebook, sounds the alarm when have found up to 400 malicious mobile applications, obtained from the official Google and Apple application storeswhich require the use of Facebook account login data for the sole purpose of stealing credentials and compromising user accounts.
From the company they try to help potentially affected users take action to protect their accountsand be encouraged to be careful about downloading apps that ask for social media logins.
Avoiding greater evils to affected people
According to Target, malicious apps have been masquerading as photo editors, games, VPN services, commercial apps, and other utilities with the aim of tricking users into downloading them to their devices.
Meta has contacted Google and Apple prior to the publication of the report so that they are aware of this, sharing its research both with these companies and with security researchers and legislators with the aim of carrying out a joint fight against this threat.
From the company they are aware of the efforts of the companies in the fight against malicious applications, although there are malicious applications that manage to evade security measures, managing to pass themselves off as legitimate applications within the application stores.
In the said report he points to some of the nuances that users will be able to take into account to detect malicious applications from legitimate applicationsfor instance:
Require social media credentials to use the app: The app can’t be used if you don’t provide your Facebook information? For example, be suspicious of a photo-editing app that needs your Facebook username and password before allowing you to use it.
For those who are affected, it recommends immediately uninstall malicious apps, change your passwords to stronger passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and turn on login alerts.
Also:
We also encourage people to report malicious apps that compromise Meta accounts through our Data Abuse Bounty program.
More information: Target
