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Can you get a virus from playing an application game on Facebook?
Hey my neighbor has an issue with the computer. It crashed several times and now it can't System restore anymore. She says it is because her kid played a game on Facebook called, "Farmville". It is an application that they added to their profile and plays it. Is this possible for this to happen? She even uses Firefox. Can an application on Facebook corrupt a computer? Thanks.
I would say an application on facebook could corrupt a computer if it were a malicious application. I know that farmville is a legitimate game and one of the more widespread out there on facebook. Its possible they got it from facebook but I wouldnt point the finger at farmville.
Just a little more info it looks like farmville is a registered game of zynga.com and taking a look at their website they look like a legitimate company and not one that would be invested in spyware.
ASKER
but it is a possibility that an application on facebook can cause a virus?
II also did some research on "farmville" after you mentioned it and they have 40 million or so players on facebook so, you're probably right that it isn't that.
II also did some research on "farmville" after you mentioned it and they have 40 million or so players on facebook so, you're probably right that it isn't that.
ASKER
I found it hard to believe that an application on Facebook can do that because I didn't even know you downloaded anything. I don't use facebook though so I am not positive.
I knew it couldnt hurt you cause i actually played it for a while. There are certain applications etc on facebook that can hurt you. There are worms, viruses, password stealers just like any other site on the net. One of the big facebook virus/worms was called koobface and was out pretty recently.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koobface
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koobface
ASKER
But that Koobface is not an actual Facebook Application that you install to your profile. It is a message that sends itself after someone downloads and runs it. And it asks people to download and run on their computer.
My question is, can you get a virus from just installing an application to your profile....
My question is, can you get a virus from just installing an application to your profile....
I wasnt giving that as a way to get infected via application I was just using it as an eexample. And in my mind that is more likely how the computer got infected. If your a kid and you get a message that looks like its from your friend your probably gonna run it. I would bet that was the attack vector that got this machine FUBAR.
As far as the applications themselves rely on the facebook API so I dont think there are any out there (currently) that can hurt you.
As far as the applications themselves rely on the facebook API so I dont think there are any out there (currently) that can hurt you.
ASKER
Right but the thing is that the computer was infected. We ran system restore. Then the computer crashed again and my neighbor said that her son did play farmville and that is why they think it caused the crash. But I doubt the son clicked the same link again. I agree with you on the Farmville app considering its popularity so I was wondering about the other facebook apps. I did a lotta research and found that the only things the apps do dangerous are maybe privacy issues and redirecting to other sites...
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ASKER
it was nice chattin with you lol. i told them that in the beginning and suggested many times to have a "kid" computer just for them. they have a spare pc so hopefully they set that up.