Hijacked Yahoo account?

September 19, 2006 5:23 PM

I was chatting with a friend using Yahoo last night. My yahoo client started initiating a file transfer of a .wmv file without me physically initiating it. Even stranger, it was a file I didn't even have on my hard drive. I cancelled the transfer before it could complete, because by the file name, it was obviously porn (still not mine!). Has anyone had this happen to them or heard of it happening to anyone else?
posted by augustweed to computers & internet (9 comments total)

I'm assuming that it wasn't your friend attempting to send you the file, and you somehow hit 'OK' on an Accept File request in the middle of typing?
posted by SenshiNeko at 5:44 PM on September 19, 2006

That specifically hasn't happened to me, but I have started receiving IM spam on my Yahoo! Messenger account even though no one but my close friends know it and I'm always invisible. I think something is screwed up with their security or something. It's really awesome to receive inappropriate messages at work on something I don't even use for IM-ing (I use it for the Launchcast player & e-mail alerts).
posted by tastybrains at 6:04 PM on September 19, 2006

The various Yahoo apps are notoriously easy to crack, hence (their ministrations at) increased security recently (autocomplete=off, etc). I recommend not using it unless absolutely nescessary.
posted by ChasFile at 7:04 PM on September 19, 2006

I'm assuming that it wasn't your friend attempting to send you the file . . . .

Correct. I was coming from my pc. I did a search for the file. I couldn't remember the specific file name, but it had the word 'college,' so I searched my HDD for files containing the word 'college.' Nada.
posted by augustweed at 7:06 PM on September 19, 2006

Run a full virus scan and then also run Lavasoft's Adaware (it's free).

Also, if you don't have a firewall running, get it going.

I've heard of some off things happening like this due to downloads from some questionable sites (not just porn, more like smileys, ringtones, those sorts of things).

Sheesh, `Get a mac'. Thanks, helpy.
posted by tomble at 7:08 PM on September 19, 2006

This is definately a virus. You may not have got it from IM originally but it uses IM to propage too. Current viruses are multi-front and exhibit the behavor you describe. You can do a free virus scan here.
posted by damn dirty ape at 7:59 PM on September 19, 2006 [1 favorite]

If you want a good and free virus checking package (lightweight, too - doesn't hog system resources like some <hrumph> commercial packages), try AVG.

SpyBot is a great companion to Adaware (it'll catch stuff AW doesn't, and vice versa).

Then again, what you did (manually stopping the d/l - the stand alone video file could potentially be another vector for infection (some video files ask the player to "phone home" (who's home?... yeah.) and d/l and execute code)) is the topmost level of security. Recognizing when your computer is doing something you didn't authorize it to do and stopping it Is Exactly The Right And Best Thing To Do.

Yes, this kind of stuff happens a lot; lots of people use IM = lots of eyeballs/lots of clicks so it's worthwhile for spammers and scammers to troll IM.
posted by porpoise at 9:42 PM on September 19, 2006

I applaud porpoise's helpful nature and second those sentiments, but the links are dodgy. Here's the free version of AVG (as opposed to the 30-day trial of the commercial version) and here's Spybot Search and Destroy.

Downloading anti-malware stuff from anywhere except its official homes can result in much grief; there are a lot of fakes out there.
posted by flabdablet at 12:20 AM on September 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

what porpoise said.

oh and flabdablet.
posted by lemonfridge at 1:11 AM on September 20, 2006