Virus Hackers use MySpace

Computer Security

Warnings are going out right and left about the interactive website, MySpace. Many viruses are being linked to this site and there are over a million daily users so this could potentially be a serious problem. It was only a matter of time before the hackers got to MySpace and seen what kind of damage that they could cause. Certainly they would never miss this opportunity as it is ripe for the pickings. The viruses that hit MySpace can delete files, track user's movements online, and even cause a lot of damage to a computer.

It is believed that the virus writers have actually hidden malicious software at random which would cause anyone to be susceptible to getting a virus by simply viewing the pages. Actually, there have already been several virus reports that have stemmed from use on MySpace. The greatest number of users on MySpace is teenagers but the site is just exploding with growth and accounts for a respectable percentage of all internet traffic. And of course, that just makes it a breeding ground for hackers who have banked on the fact that people have indeed let their guard down.

Online banner advertisements run on MySpace that when clicked on, infect millions with spyware. The banners are always something that is geared right towards the target market that MySpace tends to attract so that the user is much more likely to click on it. They use stuff that teenagers are really interested in, for example, there may be a banner ad that asks for opinions on whether or not a celebrity is pregnant or not or maybe an ad that asks for you to finish the lyrics of a song. This is hitting an area that most teens can simply not pass up and in addition, most have not yet come to the realization that they are not going to get tons of free stuff from clicking in these banner ads.

The Samy virus was one that corrupted MySpace, it was a cross site scripting virus that was designed and written with the intention of spreading across MySpace. This virus carried the goods that were displayed on a users profile that read, "but most of all, Samy is my hero." When they would view it, out of curiosity of course, they would then become infected. In less than one full day over one million users had clicked too and had become infected. It was one of the fastest spreading viruses ever. After the virus was executed it would result in an automatic friend request to the virus writer, hence, resulting in a chain reaction to everyone else's profiles and friend requests.

There is no monetary involvement on MySpace however; hackers are finding ways to change that too. They are hijacking accounts and using them to spread bulletin board spam for a monetary profit. The good news is that since, MySpace has stepped up measures that do not allow bad links in user's profiles to be enabled. This has shown a significant drop in phishing scams and corrupt malware on sites such as and including MySpace.