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[WARNING] Newest way people are trying to hack/infect PC's - BE CAREFUL

by Robert Michael
25 replies
I just got a message from some loser on skype.

The message said "Is this your new profile picture?" and then had a link.

The link was a shortened URL that had my skype username at the end of it. Like this:

http://shortURLhere.com/?img=MySkypeIDhere

When I clicked the link, it asked me to save a zip file.

I scanned the zip with my antivirus and it said it was clean, so I unzipped the folder to check it out.

Well, there was NO photo. It was really a disguised .EXE file

So I submitted it to VirusTotal.com - Turns out, it was infected with not one, not two, but FOUR trojans.

I have no idea what it would have done had I opened it..

But I DO know that whatever it was, it wouldn't have been good.

So yea - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

DO NOT FALL FOR THIS, AND ALWAYS DOUBLE-CHECK FILES BY SUBMITTING THEM TO VIRUSTOTAL IF YOU ARE SUSPICIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING.
#careful #hack or infect #newest #people #warning
  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    It's absolutely nuts to open any file from anyone you don't know - even some of those from people you do know can be infected without them knowing. I have my email hooked up to my AVAST so that I don't have to worry about anything in my inbox. If I don't know you, though - I'm not opening that file whether it's clean or not. Don't have time to mess with uninvited crap in my box.
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  • Profile picture of the author gpwilson
    Do you also face this type of situation like me. My whole computer system apparently damaged because of those files. But i think i am lucky one. Because i took effective measures quickly. Now everything is under controlled.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kal Sallam
    I am on my computer most of the time no one ever dares to harm it! lol.
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  • Profile picture of the author Shubh Ashish
    Man,I faced the same problem.I clicked the Link and clicked on the .exe file and then it sent that same message to all my contacts.It was very Pathetic.Peace !
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  • Profile picture of the author Joe Crosbie
    Hey Everyone

    I got the same message, the exe file seems quite harmful when I looked it up.

    I read about it here:
    Malicious worm on Skype lets hackers hold PCs to ransom | Computer virus News | The Week UK

    Be careful guys
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  • Profile picture of the author Tony Dean
    Thanks for the heads up.
    I use Avast anti-viral and it never let's me down, but just sometimes you can fall for something.
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    • Profile picture of the author hershkoy
      I admit that I am one of those that got hit by this stupid worm. I usually don't click on suspicious links like that, but this happened to me on an instinct.
      I am not sure that I actually got infected because as far as I understand, the link is to a zip file, and you need to execute it in order for it to operate. Am I right?
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  • Profile picture of the author SocialMediaOwls
    I clicked on the link since it seemed to be a jpg file and when it jumped to a download I immediately deleted it. Did not open the zip
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  • Profile picture of the author chilldy
    Never ever click any links from anyone that you don't know especially when it comes out of nowhere. If a friend of yours account was somehow hacked. Ask questions as to why they are sending a link. Most of the time bots will either not answer your question or not make any sense. Now should you do decide to download it and it's one file with an .exe extension never open it no matter what.
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  • Profile picture of the author mydream247
    I just don't understand why someone smart enough to create a virus would waste that talent on infecting computers ad causing trouble when they could use that smarts to be next bill gates. What a waste of talent.
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  • Profile picture of the author dcbaker1
    You earn to be infected if you open blindless a file/URL from someone you don't know. It's stupid to be honest to do that, don't you agree?
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    • Profile picture of the author dv8domainsDotCom
      Originally Posted by dcbaker1 View Post

      You earn to be infected if you open blindless a file/URL from someone you don't know. It's stupid to be honest to do that, don't you agree?
      Yeah but I tend to be less heavy-handed with it...

      People are un-informed about what is possible with some of the junk out there. I wouldn't really call them "stupid"... they might think it's from a friend, when the reality is their "friend" is some third party mail-spammer spoofing an email address.
      The average user does not know about these possibilities. (although admittedly, we are getting a little better on the whole, which is why some of these attempts are starting to become more sophisticated)... cat and mouse, you know?
      Instead, try to educate people.
      And, using (free) tools such as virustotal are a great way to help mitigate the potential for damage caused from these nefarious things.

      My thought is: If I didn't ask for it (an attachment), I won't open it. Period. I tell my friends and anyone that asks to take the same attitude. If I DID ask for it, it goes through a virus checker; and if I don't trust YOUR ability to monitor your computer and keep it clean (98% of ya'll!!!), it will also go through virustotal.
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    • Profile picture of the author Fraggler
      Originally Posted by dcbaker1 View Post

      You earn to be infected if you open blindless a file/URL from someone you don't know. It's stupid to be honest to do that, don't you agree?
      The www is built on clicking links from people we don't know.
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  • Profile picture of the author vivo
    That is a big no no. You never open file you don't know about, but you NEVER, I REPEAT NEVER, open an .exe file you download without at least scanning it. Most of the media files (non-software media) that are packed as .exe are viruses.
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  • Profile picture of the author RedHat39
    Now thats a little harsh. This happened to me on Skype because my wife or one of my kids thought it was one of those joke "pass it on pictures" you get in emails.

    Not everyone is out to get you, some people get caught in the cross fire.

    Originally Posted by Whos That Guru View Post

    I just got a message from some loser on skype.
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    • Profile picture of the author Robert Michael
      Originally Posted by RedHat39 View Post

      Now thats a little harsh. This happened to me on Skype because my wife or one of my kids thought it was one of those joke "pass it on pictures" you get in emails.

      Not everyone is out to get you, some people get caught in the cross fire.
      yeah, thats true.. I just have a bad temper.

      Especially when its about someone trying to infect my computer.

      I don't go around trying to give people viruses, so I don't like it when people try to give me one. Thats not cool.

      "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" or something like that.. ya know? lol
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      • Profile picture of the author AprilCT
        It pays to be careful what urls you click and what is downloaded. Before I open anything I download, I do a quick scan of it with my anti-viral to see if it is safe.

        As for anyone I don't know sending something to me, I won't even open an email, it just goes into spam.

        It's sad when you get caught by someone you know whose account has been hacked and it's spam. It makes me angry. It took me a long time to clean my husband's computer when that happened to him because he just opened a friend's email that had been hacked and it infected his computer.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tayman
    Originally Posted by Whos That Guru View Post

    I just got a message from some loser on skype.

    The message said "Is this your new profile picture?" and then had a link.

    The link was a shortened URL that had my skype username at the end of it. Like this:

    http://shortURLhere.com/?img=MySkypeIDhere

    When I clicked the link, it asked me to save a zip file.

    I scanned the zip with my antivirus and it said it was clean, so I unzipped the folder to check it out.

    Well, there was NO photo. It was really a disguised .EXE file

    So I submitted it to VirusTotal.com - Turns out, it was infected with not one, not two, but FOUR trojans.

    I have no idea what it would have done had I opened it..

    But I DO know that whatever it was, it wouldn't have been good.

    So yea - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

    DO NOT FALL FOR THIS, AND ALWAYS DOUBLE-CHECK FILES BY SUBMITTING THEM TO VIRUSTOTAL IF YOU ARE SUSPICIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING.
    Yah, I just received this B.S. from a trusted friend on Skype. He was infected and sending this wonderful surprise to everyone else.
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  • Profile picture of the author jessiem
    It's a keylogger virus. To fix it please watch this video -
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  • Profile picture of the author Charles AK
    this is not new, why would you open something like that anyway?

    you basically ran a RAT, which was crypted, make sure you have no webcams turned on, and you have fully got rid of the virus.

    if you need to get rid of it let me know.

    in the mean time, you need to start downloading files under a sandbox. and never download files sent to you from a chat client.

    this method of hacking is commonly used on torrent sites, but people are finding new ways to spread.
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  • Profile picture of the author CollegeCEO
    Wow that sucks. Hackers are the worst. Thanks for spreading the word.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    I woulda deleted this dude's message as soon as i saw the subject line and the name. But dont feel bad... scammers are getting smarter and smarter... and are getting broker and broker as internet users become more smarter when it comes to recognizing a scam email.
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert Michael
    I didn't open it. I scanned it & Norton said it was clean, so I extracted it.

    Once I saw it was an EXE I ran it thru VirusTotal, which detected 4 trojans.

    Sadly, NIS did not detect anything.. But I didn't run it. lol hell na.

    I've been at this too long to fall for something like that.

    I just wanted to let everyone else know, since there are a lot of people on here who haven't been online for that long.
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  • Profile picture of the author zicer
    thanks for letting us know, i should spread the news in social media sites to get other people know
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