A new configuration of the Ice IX malware attempts to trick its victims into exposing their credit card details when they try to access their Facebook accounts, according to security firm Trusteer.
The new Ice IX variant displays a Web form inside a browser pop-up window when users log into Facebook. The pop-up is designed to appear as if it's part of the social networking website and asks users for their name, billing address, credit or debit card number, card expiry date and card identification number.
"The attackers claim the information is needed to verify the victim's identity and provide additional security for their Facebook account," Trusteer's chief technology officer, Amit Klein, said in a blog post on Tuesday.
Once the rogue form is submitted, the malware forwards the sensitive information to its authors via an instant messaging protocol, so they can abuse it as soon as possible.
The injection of rogue forms into legitimate online banking websites as they are displayed inside various browsers is a common feature of so-called banking Trojan horses like Ice IX, ZeuS or SpyEye.
However, the sale of Web injects that target non-banking websites like Facebook on underground forums suggests that traditional cyber fraudsters are looking to expand their reach. Trusteer's researchers have seen marketing videos promoting the new Ice IX configuration.
"By attacking Facebook and other ubiquitous social networks fraudsters can tap a massive pool of victims," Klein said. "They can also use the information harvested from social network users to perpetuate fraud on multiple in fronts including online banking, retail, and even to penetrate enterprise and government networks."
Some of the Facebook users who supplied their credit card information on the website in the past, in order to buy Facebook credits, might be inclined to trust the rogue forms displayed by the new Ice IX configuration.
However, Facebook told Trusteer that its website will never ask users logging in to provide their credit card details, social security numbers, or any other sensitive information, except, of course, for their username and password.
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