back to article Facebook fixes 'Peeping Tom' webcam bug - AFTER 5 MONTHS

Facebook had a busy time over the holiday period fixing several security flaws, including a webcam-related vulnerability that allowed hackers to record video from a user's web camera and post it on their timeline. "An attacker could trick a user to silently record his webcam video and publish it to his Facebook wall, without …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Oh the fcuking Zuckerberg irony...

    "It isn't about privacy settings" Have you talked to your brother about that?

    1. LarsG

      Another normal day in the Facebook Universe.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. Bernard M. Orwell
        WTF?

        "Another normal day in the Facebook Universe"

        Yeah, utterly the opposite of any other software company where they never need to make fixes immediately following their discovery, eh?

        Whats that? Patch Wednesday? Never heard of it....

    2. ItsNotMe
      Happy

      Re: Oh the fcuking Zuckerberg irony...

      Not really a problem...if you don't use Farcebook in the first place.

      1. Bernard M. Orwell
        Trollface

        Re: Oh the fcuking Zuckerberg irony...

        ehrmargerd! There is data about me on facebook.....or the internet....or my computer.... I'd best stop using them! People might KNOW things about me! I'd best stop talking to them on my phone, or in email, or in person or....or...on forums!

        The monastery awaits.

      2. This post has been deleted by its author

  2. Rampant Spaniel

    Not blaming others for your own screwups

    It's real world etiquette.

  3. Bakunin
    Devil

    Automated Sincerity

    The fact that it's done through Facebook aside, an automated message to your "friends" is a little lacking in sincerity.

    Perhaps there's an app in that idea; a daily check on your friends status' for any mention of deceased and we'll rush out flowers and bill your credit card. That way your prompt response will make it look like you really care.

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
      Happy

      Re: Automated Sincerity

      Bakunin,

      That's a great idea. Just let me set up this online florist over here, register them for deliveries in my area with Facebook, get me a few more friends on there, then announce the deaths of a few relatives. Then... Profit.

      Of course, they might spot me after 2 false death reports, so in a further twist on the scam, I could start murdering my relatives. Christmas has put me in the correct frame of mind for that.

      What's the going rate on a dead cousin? I've only got 3 brothers, and I don't want to use them all up at once...

  4. Tom 35

    Digital etiquette:

    Don't post anything private on the internet.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Digital etiquette:

      It's very, very good advice, but did I miss the bit in the article where an end user posted something private on a public forum....?

  5. Mike Flugennock
    Coffee/keyboard

    from the "More Irony Than You Can Stand" Dept:

    According to the Guardian article, Zuckerberg's sister is the producer of a reality TV show.

    D'ahhhh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha hahhh.

  6. David Hicks
    Thumb Down

    Not really sure why a web browser

    Ought to be able to interact with my webcam anway. Seems like a *really* bad idea.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not really sure why a web browser

      I dunno, maybe something radical like real time video chat?

      1. Oninoshiko

        Re: Not really sure why a web browser

        yes, but why would you want to use a web browser for real-time video-chat? Wouldn't it make more sense to have a application written for that task, rather then one which was clearly not?

        1. David Hicks

          Re: Not really sure why a web browser

          Indeed, and a browser is an application that runs al sorts of 'stuff' from all sorts of sources at that, so not one I like the idea of giving direct access to much in the way of hardware.

        2. Woodgar

          Re: Not really sure why a web browser

          If it's in a browser then it'll be platform agnostic, or at least hopefully so, whilst an individual app/program will have to be developed for each platform with all the usual comparabilities that throws up.

  7. hold2ransom
    Devil

    It would appear that Zuckerberg's sister Randi is as graceless and charmless as he is. FFS she worked for Facebook and is not aware of it's shortcomings with respect to both privacy and security of data? Ah of course Facebook says "all your data here belong me" so it's not your privacy they are concerned with.

    1. VinceH
      Thumb Down

      "It would appear that Zuckerberg's sister Randi is as graceless and charmless as he is. FFS she worked for Facebook and is not aware of it's shortcomings with respect to both privacy and security of data?"

      In this case, however, she is probably right that the problem isn't the privacy controls, but the behaviour of the person who posted the picture elsewhere. That person saw it because a mutual friend was tagged - had she posted a link to the photo on Facebook, only those who are Randi Zuckerberg's friends on the site, or people who are friends of those tagged in it would have been able to follow the link and see the photo.

      My reading of events is therefore that Schweitzer must have actually copied the picture, uploading it elsewhere so she could post a link for all the world to see - which, to my mind, is absolutely a matter of etiquette and decency. As well as one of copyright.

      1. Anonymous Cowardess

        I agree with you. Schweitzer is not entirely blameless if she coped the picture. OTOH Facebook could provide a setting that things can be only seen by your friends, not the friends of your friends etc. On the third hand though, and what everybody should have learned by now: If you don't want it to spead, don't post it.

  8. Peter Simpson 1
    Happy

    Hoist

    with their own petard, the Zuckerbergs are...

    1. Adze
      Alien

      Re: Hoist; You are Yoda...

      ...and I claim my £5!

  9. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart
    Coffee/keyboard

    "It's not about privacy settings, it's about human decency."

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

    1. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

      Other than that it should be all in caps I agree with you 100%..

  10. Ketlan
    FAIL

    Good opportunity missed

    'Rather than complaining about Facebook's privacy settings, the sister of the tech titan decided to rebuke the blameless Schweitzer'

    Oh, to have been Schweitzer and to have been in the wonderful and justified position to tell at least one of the Zuckerbergs to fuck off. Bliss.

    And no, I don't do Facebook.

  11. Bill Stewart

    Limiting Facebook risks

    I don't use Facebook very often, but when I do, it's only on a virtual machine, with a dedicated copy of the browser, and I don't use that VM for anything else. And all that game stuff is turned off.

    I started doing that when the LA Times in my main browser session started showing me "see what news articles your Facebook friends are reading today!"

    1. nuked
      FAIL

      Re: Limiting Facebook risks

      So, you have a VM dedicated to Facebook?

  12. 404
    Mushroom

    This article...

    .. is of the type where expeditious and dramatic use of english language slang would be appropriate. However, due to the sensitivities of the average humble El Reg commentard, this cannot be. So in the spirit of the El Reg community, I shall leave you with this wish for Zuckerberg&Pals

    May the Bird of Paradise Fly up your nose,

    may an elephant caress you with his toes....

    <you may continue>

    ;)

    1. Vic
      Joke

      Re: This article...

      > May the Bird of Paradise Fly up your nose

      <SidJames> And up yours </SidJames>

      Vic.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Instead Of Complaining About Facebook

    Why not get out and meet some real friends rather pretending to have some.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Instead Of Complaining About Facebook

      It was probably called "friends" because "acquaintances" was just too long a word for the original FB target audience..

    2. Bernard M. Orwell

      Re: Instead Of Complaining About Facebook

      This from someone spending time browsing forums and replying to comments...

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    What I find odd

    If I post about webcams and covering or drilling them out with a very fine bit, I get a ton of downvotes on theregister, same thing on reddit and a ton of upvotes.

    Someting about the clientele or age group?

    1. Fibbles

      Re: What I find odd

      Seems a bit OTT when you could just as easily disable the webcam driver...

      1. Darryl

        Re: What I find odd

        Or if you're REALLY paranoid, a small square of black electrical tape over the cam guarantees it's not going to see anything, and you don't even have to destroy anything.

        1. VinceH
          Happy

          Re: What I find odd

          All mine would film is the gap between the left and right touchpad buttons, so there's no real need to do anything paranoid here.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    javascript

    spawn of satan

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  16. This post has been deleted by its author

  17. Trustme

    Duh.

    "I posted a picture of myself on the internet and it got reposted by a friend of a friend!"

    Really? The sister of the owner (was going to say "creator" but there's ambiguity about that) of Facebook is REALLY that shocked by this? Take it the brains doesn't run through the whole family then...

  18. Tree
    Coffee/keyboard

    Cure for the problem

    When you get a computer always cover the camera lens with black tape. There are all kinds of things (flash?) that can take over your camera. If you do need to send a picture, remove the tape, but replace it immediately afterward. Also do not use facebutt.

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