Facebook Christmas Tree Virus: it’s Still a Hoax
On a “old hoaxes never die” tack,it seems that final year’s Christmas Tree App “virus” warning is present again: during any rate, Facecrooks has found it required to put a warning on a Facebook page opposite swelling it.
There is copiousness of information accessible about this small beauty, so I’ll only give we a few pointers:
- Facecrooks cites a write-up during Hoax Slayer
- Snopes has a write-up here
- Geek Squad, that is purported in a hoax summary to have certified a alert, has denied it here (and also thrown in some recommendation for Facebook users)
- Graham Cluley enclosed some shade shots and a chronological note here, and we gilded a lily with some some-more information on a CHRISTMA EXEC worm here.
As we haven’t seen a new chronicle of a summary myself, here’s a one that Graham cited in 2010.
WARNING!!!!!!…..DO NOT USE THE Christmas tree app. on Facebookplease be suggested it will pile-up your computer. Geek patrol says a oneof a WORST trojan-viruses there is and it is swelling quickly.Re-post and let your friends know. THANKS PLEASE REPOST!
And we still can’t conflict quoting this bit from Viruses Revealed (a book we wrote about 10 years ago with Robert Slade and Urs Gattiker).
In 1990, a suggestion (though nothing of a code) of a worm was invoked by a summary displayed between 24th and 31st December, along with a Christmas tree graphic, on systems putrescent with a XA1 (Tannenbaum) virus. “Und er lebt doch noch: Der Tannenbaum!
Which means “and it still lives: a Christmas tree!” Indeed it does…
David Harley CITP FBCS CISSP
ESET Senior Research Fellow