Malware creators used Facebook ads to trick users into downloading this fake Clubhouse app for Windows
Malware creators reportedly used Facebook ads to trick users into downloading a fake version of the Clubhouse app for Windows, then install ransomware on their computers.
Clubhouse, the social audio app that took the world by storm last year amid the pandemic, has seen its fair share of controversy. These range from researchers finding the app exposing raw audio to Chinese servers, to users discovering there's no easy way to delete their accounts. It has now emerged that hackers are spreading fake Clubhouse apps for PC, via fake ads on Facebook.
Also read: Things to know before you go shooting your mouth off on Clubhouse
Malware creators have been busy taking advantage of Clubhouse's rising popularity, creating what they claim is a Clubhouse client for PCs and then promoting those ads on Facebook to get users to install the app, according to TechCrunch. The app, unfortunately, contains links to web pages that masqueraded as the official Clubhouse website and offered users the ability to “download the latest Clubhouse app for Windows” which would install the malware on their systems.
The website reportedly also contains a screenshot of the nonexistent Clubhouse app for desktops, as visualised by the malware creators. Once users download and install the malicious app, it contacts a “command and control” server to perform various tasks. According to the report, running the app inside a secure “sandbox” revealed that the app attempts to infect a computer with ransomware.
Read more: Data of more than 1 million Clubhouse users leaked online: Report
It looks like the servers and the website for the fake Clubhouse apps are now offline, but that doesn't mean users should not be careful. For starters, never click links to software that you receive via emails or see in ads. Always Google the application you are interested in, as you are most likely to find the official link this way. Users must also keep in mind that Clubhouse is only available on iPhones running Apple's iOS software, and is still working on an app for Android, so an official desktop version is unlikely to arrive in the near future.
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