Skip to main content

Here’s how to remove the Facebook Color Changer malware

facebook-under-a-magnifying-glass
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Internet security firm Cheetah Mobile revealed in a blog post today that a Facebook app that claims to let you change the color of your profile page is actually malware in disguise.

Here’s how it works: As soon as you click a link to download the Facebook Color Changer app, you’re taken to a phishing site. This was only possible because of a vulnerability in Facebook that permits hackers to put malicious code straight into Facebook apps. If you click on the color-changing offer link, you’re taken to what looks like a legitimate page for the fake Facebook Color Changer app. CM estimates that roughly 10,000 people have been afflicted by the Facebook Color Changer scheme.

Related: Best free anti-virus and anti-malware software for PC and Mac

This dastardly page can take control of your Access Tokens by asking you to watch a tutorial on how to change the color on your profile. From there, hackers can connect to people in your friends list on Facebook. If you’re on a PC, it will take you to a page containing a link to download a malicious video playing app for watching porn.

Related: Top 5 malware-scanning apps for Android

Android-based victims, you will see a notification warning of a malware infection. It will ask you to install an anti-malware app. However, that app is malicious, and should be avoided.

Fortunately, there’s a way to rid your PC or Android device of the malware associated with the Facebook Color Changer app. Here’s how.

How to remove the Facebook Color Changer malware

If you’re afflicted by the Facebook Color Changer malware, uninstall the app from your Facebook accounts, and change your account passwords, reports Cheetah Mobile. Of course, you should also update your malware detecting apps and run scans ASAP.

Konrad Krawczyk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…
What does a check mark mean on Facebook Messenger?
A series of social media app icons on a colorful smartphone screen.

If you've ever sent a message to a friend on Facebook Messenger, you've probably noticed a little check mark icon next to the message you sent.

They're nothing to worry about, but these check mark icons do offer up a little information on the status of the Messenger messages you send. Want to know what each of these check mark icons means? Keep reading to find out.
What does a check mark mean on Messenger?

Read more
Which color MacBook should you buy? Here’s how to pick
The MacBook Air on a table in front of a window.

Apple’s MacBook laptops come in a range of colors, and selecting which is right for you can be a tricky business. Sure, it’s perhaps not as important as deciding which chip to pick or how much memory you should buy, but it’s still a vital part of the equation. After all, you’re going to see that color every time you reach for your MacBook. You don’t want it to be something that fills you with regret.

But how should you pick a MacBook color? And what do the colors even look like in the first place? We’ve got the answers to those questions in this guide. We’d also advise you to go to an Apple Store to take a look at the MacBook colors in person, as some can be hard to appreciate just by browsing Apple’s website.

Read more
Are Facebook and Instagram still down? Here’s what we know
The Facebook app icon on an iPhone home screen, with other app icons surrounding it.

If you had difficulty using Facebook and Instagram today, we have some news: you weren't alone. On Tuesday, March 5, both of the Meta-owned social media websites were experiencing outages, rendering them unusable for many people. This came after AT&T experienced a nationwide outage of its own last month.

When did this Facebook/Instagram outage start? Are any other websites down? Is the outage fixed? Here's everything we know.
When did the Facebook and Instagram outage start?
Looking at Down Detector, reports of Facebook and Instagram being down first started coming in a little before 10:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Reports spiked around 10:24 a.m., with over 500,000 outage reports coming in at that time.

Read more