Microblogging site Twitter has been hit by a fake antivirus worm. The worm leads the user to an IP address where the option of downloading a fake antivirus is presented. A word of caution has been spread by the Department of Information Technology's cyber security wing to the users.
Users have been prohibited from downloading any link that has been posted in Twitter. The worm is creating havoc by making use of the goo.gl URL shortening service. Following the link will take the user to a fake anti-virus page. When the website is opened, the victim is warned of suspicious software and is given the option of removing all threats from their systems by downloading a fake anti-virus called Security Shield.
Security firm Sophos examined the offending messages and found that they were posted by 'Mobile Web', Twitter's lite interface for mobile phone users. The compromising of the user accounts can be attributed to usernames and passwords being stolen, but it is not confirmed yet. As a precautionary step, Twitter users should change their passwords immediately, tells Sophos.
