Instagram users targeted by new malware

Users of Facebook-owned photo sharing service Instagram were warned against a new batch of malware claiming to be Instagram-related utilities.

 

Malwarebytes.org said malware makers appear to be exploiting the rise in popularity of Instagram especially in the United States.

 

"Doing a Google search surely yields sites where one can download several programs involving Instagram. Some of which can either be classed as 'image viewers' or 'image and video downloaders' publicly-accessible accounts," researcher Jovi Umawing said in a blog post.

 

"Internet slowdown, unwanted redirection to sites and possible installation of other programs without the user’s consent are just some of the obvious signs users may experience once these programs are installed," he added.

 

Umawing said such programs appear to target users of computers running Microsoft's Windows "who just want to keep copies of photos and videos that are likely not their own."

 

He said these potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) include:

 

instagramdownloader-1.0.0.0.exe

instagramdownloader-1.0.0.0.exe

free-instagram-downloader-230-32-bits.exe

Setup_Instagram_Hacker.exe

instagram-downloader-20-32-bits.exe

Instagram_Downloader-2.3.0.exe

 

Umawing advised the public to "please avoid downloading such programs onto your system as doing so will increase its security risks." — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News