Koobface.LP

Posted: November 15, 2012

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Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

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Ranking:	9,271
Threat Level:	1/10
Infected PCs:	4,333

First Seen:	November 15, 2012
Last Seen:	October 9, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Koobface.LP is a worm that spreads via social networking and media-related sites such as Facebook and YouTube. Like any member of the Koobface family, Koobface.LP is capable of being reconfigured for various attacks, including stealing personal information, installing other malware or hijacking your browser. The last confirmed Koobface.LP attack uses US President Obama-themed Twitter spam to hijack the accounts of other Twitter users, as well as install Koobface.LP through a fake YouTube web page. As a new indicator of why it's a good idea to avoid clicking on sensationalist or suspicious links, Koobface.LP should be considered a significant threat to your computer, and SpywareRemove.com malware researchers recommend that you remove Koobface.LP with anti-malware software that can be trusted to delete all of Koobface.LP's variable components.

From Fake Twitter News to YouTube Updates All the Way to Koobface.LP Infections

Koobface.LP uses what SpywareRemove.com malware experts consider an exceptionally sophisticated multiple-stage installation attack that uses social engineering tricks both to install itself and to assist with its own distribution throughout Twitter. The initial Koobface.LP attack appears as a Twitter message that claims that US President Obama has been involved in a minor race-based scandal, with a link that supposedly leads you to YouTube. Incautious PC users who click this link will be asked to sign in to their Twitter accounts – this gives your Twitter login credentials to criminals who will hijack your account and use it to spam out more Koobface.LP messages.

Afterward, the victim is redirected to a fake YouTube page that requests that you download a movie player update. Of course, this update isn't a YouTube Player, but, instead, an installer for Koobface.LP, a botnet-using worm that can use various modules to conduct different attacks against your computer. Koobface worms like Koobface.LP are one of the most prolific and flexible PC threats as of 2012, and SpywareRemove.com malware researchers always recommend that you remove a Koobface.LP infection immediately via a good anti-malware scanner.

The Problems that You Should Anticipate from Koobface.LP's 'YouTube Update'

Depending on the goals of the controlling criminals, Koobface.LP can be configured to use several different modules with differing functions. Major attacks that SpywareRemove.com malware analysts have linked to Koobface.LP and other Koobface worms include:

Koobface.LP may attempt to steal personal information such as e-mail addresses, account logins, passwords or credit card information.
Koobface.LP may hijack your browser and redirect you to malicious sites or display pop-up advertisements.
Koobface.LP may be used to install other types of malware (ransomware Trojans, rogue anti-malware programs, banking Trojans, etc.).
Koobface.LP may exploit your PC's resources to launch botnet attacks such as website-crashing DDoS attacks or spambot-related activities.

Because Koobface.LP can be distributed by the compromised accounts of ordinarily trustworthy Twitter users, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers especially recommend that you be careful to avoid links that resemble Koobface.LP's even in cases where you know the sender. Like all types of variable and malicious software, Koobface.LP is removed most safely by competent and updated anti-malware scanners.

Technical Details

Additional Information

The following messages's were detected:

#	Message
1	'Check out Obama punch a guy in the face for calling him a n*****'.