If you use Facebook and Instagram, your accounts could be in danger. This has been demonstrated by a security researcher after finding a problem that they can exploit. We explain what it consists of, why your password can be stolen and, most importantly, what to do to be protected. The objective is to maintain security at all times in your accounts and that no problems of any kind appear.
An Instagram glitch allows your Facebook to be stolen
This is a bug detected by security researcher Gtm Mänôz. It is a flaw that allows you to launch a brute force attack, which is basically trying numerous keys until you find the correct one, and bypassing Facebook’s two-factor authentication.
But why does this happen? A user can link their Instagram and Facebook account by adding a phone number that is already confirmed and associated with the Facebook account. By putting the number, it generates a unique code to verify identity. The flaw is that a hypothetical attacker could use bots to brute force and confirm that unique code from Facebook without actually needing two-factor authentication.
According to this security researcher, in case someone has used a confirmed number and set up two-step authentication, that 2FA will be disabled. If the number was partially confirmed (in case it was only used for 2FA), it would simply revoke the two-step authentication.
Does it mean that today your account is in danger? Thanks to this finding, Facebook was able to take measures to protect users. However, we recommend some steps that you should always take to avoid problems with this type of failure and others.
Tips to avoid stealing your Facebook
After a vulnerability like the one we’ve seen, it’s very important to change passwords and make sure you have up-to-date applications. Even if it is only to prevent, you should change your passwords and thus avoid problems that put you at risk without you realizing it.
But if you have both Facebook and Instagram, our advice is to never use the same password on both. If for some reason there is a vulnerability or someone steals your Instagram password, for example, anyone could get into your Facebook account as well. Therefore, use a different one in each case.
On the other hand, two-step authentication is essential. It is true that we have seen that the vulnerability that affected Facebook rendered it useless, but it is still an extra security barrier that, under normal circumstances, will greatly protect your accounts. You can always see Facebook logins and detect anything strange.
You should also protect the devices you use to access Facebook or Instagram. Always make sure that they are updated to the latest version and that they have a good antivirus. Security programs can prevent a wide variety of attacks or the entry of malware such as a keylogger, which can steal your passwords.
In short, as you can see, one more vulnerability could have put your Facebook account at risk in case you had it linked to Instagram. It is important to always keep everything protected and not make mistakes that could expose your passwords without you noticing.