Facebook Hacker – a dangerous tool
August 2010
IT in Manufacturing
A do-it-yourself kit that will enable ill-intentioned people to steal usernames and passwords to all sorts of accounts.
Phishing is known to be the weapon of choice for all cybercriminals that are after login credentials. However, a new attack tool – Facebook Hacker - has drawn attention to the criminals in need of passwords and usernames that are not theirs. This do-it-yourself kit helps the wrongdoer steal login credentials from whoever was targeted without the user even having to type in any of these details.
Figure 1. The extracted archive of the Facebook Hacker
The kit is intuitive, thus extremely easy to configure, just like any do-it yourself hack tool designed with the 'skiddie' in mind. There are only two fields that need filling in: a disposable e-mail and a password that will eventually constitute the location where the stolen information is to be delivered to.
Figure 2. Configuration panel
After clicking the 'build' button, a server.exe file is created and deposited into the facebook Hacker folder along with the initial files. This server.exe file is to be sent to the intended victims.
Figure 3. The server file to be sent to the victims is ready for distribution
Once run, the malicious tool will snatch the victim’s Facebook account credentials, along with all the usernames and passwords that we carelessly ask the browser to remember for us. Facebook Hacker also targets the Internet browser and Instant Messaging clients to pick up the user’s 'remembered' identification data.
In order to successfully collect passwords, the malicious binary includes applications able to squeeze data out of the most popular browsers on the market, as well as of almost all instant messaging clients available. To add insult to injury, the application also enumerates all dialup/VPN entries on the computer and displays their logon details: user name, password, and domain.
To avoid detection, the facebook Hacker will also look for all the processes related to a security suite and kill them upon detection. It is important to mention that it is accessorised with a hard-coded list of processes associated with AV solutions that are to be checked and stopped, if found.
Last but not at all the least, the piece of malware looks for network monitoring applications and terminates them. This is a safety measure that will prevent curious users from seeing their passwords leave the system.
Figure 4. TCP dump of the information sent by the application. Since the SMTP server uses TLS encryption, sniffed traffic will not reveal much of what is going on
As can be seen, the author took a lot of time to think of various elements that could interfere with the smooth operation of this tool and to eliminate them one by one.
All product and company names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and are the property and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Figure 5. The stolen credentials of our test accounts are e-mailed to the specified address
BitDefender identifies this threat as Trojan.Generic.3576478. In order to stay safe, please ensure that you are running a frequently updated antivirus utility. Also, remember not to run files you may receive as attachments or via IM, or at least, to scan them beforehand.
Further reading:
Even in autonomous systems, human insight is important
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
As AI, IIoT and digital twins reshape industrial operations, Schneider Electric’s Kobus Vermeulen and Bafana Msibi argue that the operator’s role is shifting from controlling equipment to interpreting intelligence, validating AI recommendations and making decisions that improve
Read more...
AI-based quality inspection scales across P&G operations
Siemens South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Siemens and Procter & Gamble are expanding an AI-based visual inspection system across P&G’s manufacturing operations worldwide, inspecting products in real time at full line speed, and reducing scrap rates by 10 to 20% depending on the product.
Read more...
How sustainability unlocks real business impact
Rockwell Automation
IT in Manufacturing
Sustainability has moved from a compliance obligation to a strategic driver of resilience and value for manufacturers. Rockwell Automation explains how its Triple A framework and connected-data approach help producers cut energy, water and waste while improving productivity.
Read more...
Mining’s AI future will depend on people as well as technology
IT in Manufacturing
South Africa’s mining industry is embracing digitalisation and AI, but AvenirHoldings chief executive officer, Tshidi Mndzebele says the real test is whether the people behind the industry are equipped to move forward with it, and outlines five things mining needs to get right.
Read more...
How BIC overcame operational silos to integrate technology and people
Rockwell Automation
IT in Manufacturing
Manufacturing giant BIC deployed Plex MES from Rockwell Automation at its Bizerte plant in Tunisia, replacing fragmented, partly in-house software with a single cloud-based execution system that broke operational silos and improved shop-floor visibility.
Read more...
AI in industry is an early warning system, not a guarantee
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric’s Paul Steyn argues that AI in industrial maintenance is only as good as the infrastructure and people behind it, and explains the three layers a facility needs before predictive maintenance can deliver on its promise.
Read more...
SA’s mining industry must put people at the heart of its digital future
IT in Manufacturing
South Africa’s mining industry employs around 470 000 people while its digital transition accelerates. Avenir’s chief executive officer, Tshidi Mndzebele argues that technology should enable and upskill the workforce rather than replace it, setting out five ways mining can make technology work for its people.
Read more...
Quality control supports efficient tissue production
Valmet South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Valmet’s advanced quality control technology is helping tissue producers improve product consistency while reducing energy and raw material consumption. Its latest installation at KORO Paper in Vietnam combines real-time measurement, process optimisation and non-contact, nuclear-free quality control.
Read more...
Patented algorithm maximises operator efficiency
Rockwell Automation
IT in Manufacturing
Rockwell Automation piloted a patented anomaly detection algorithm and FactoryTalk DataMosaix at its Twinsburg electronics plant, giving operators 30 to 60 days’ advance warning of stencil failure, improving fail rates by 22% and achieving a 200% return on investment.
Read more...
Cybersecurity must become part of the next era of industrial automation
Adroit Technologies
IT in Manufacturing
The EU’s Cyber Resilience Act is setting a global benchmark for connected products, making cybersecurity a core engineering requirement in industrial automation. Adroit Technologies and Mitsubishi Electric explain how building security into controllers, PLCs and drives from the outset helps South African manufacturers protect production and meet international expectations.
Read more...
printer friendly version