(Image source from: Facebook malware that pretends to be your friend})

How often have you fallen a victim to malicious links on social networking sites? Never? Well, then this piece of information could leave you shell shocked!

Have you ever been pinged a strange video link on Facebook from a friend? Watch out! That could be a malware and it could hack your Facebook account. Yes, you read that right.

New York Times has revealed that Facebook is being targeted big-time by hackers across the globe to spread malicious software that could invade your account and browser information.

“The software masquerading as an email or Facebook message notifies users that they have been tagged in a post and includes a link in the message. The link then directs you to a website where it asks to install a browser extension in order to play a video,” Gadget Central revealed.

“If the browser extension is installed, it can gain access to any sensitive information stored in your browser including passwords and log-in information. And once the extension is installed, it is tough to remove because it blocks user access to browser settings,” it further added.

Researchers who made this finding believe that the Facebook malware is affecting as many as 40,000 users per hour and has infected 800,000 people until now. The malware, which was originally designed to target Google Chrome users, have spread its malicious hold to Mozilla Firefox as well.

Image: Gadget Central

AW: Suchorita Dutta