NITDA warns Nigerians of malware spread on Facebook

NITDA warns Nigerians of malware spread on Facebook

A new threat, known as ‘Ov3r_Stealer’ malware, has emerged, targeting users on Facebook, the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) has warned.

The malware which spreads through deceptive job advertisements and fake accounts attacks users when they click on malicious advertisement links.

“The malware employs various execution methods to extract sensitive data from victims. The Ov3r Stealer malware can also be used as a dropper for other malware, including ransomware,” NITDA explained in an advisory on Monday.

“When users click on the advertisement, they are redirected to a malicious Discord URL which executes the malware,” it noted.

“The malware extracts a wide range of personal and sensitive information including geolocation (based on IP), hardware info, passwords, cookies, credit card information, auto-fills, among others.

This personal data is subsequently transmitted to a telegram channel where it is possibly sold or used for phishing attacks,” NITDA said.

The agency highlighted that preventive measures against this attack includes ensuring that softwares are always updated.

It further asked Nigerians to avoid clicking on advertisement links especially on social media platforms and stay updated on new and evolving threats.