Change your Facebook password: Meta says up to 1 million accounts may be compromised

Malware apps have attempted to steal passwords on Androids and iPhones, Forbes reports

FILE -The logo for Facebook appears on screens at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York's Times Square, March 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) (Richard Drew, Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

If you’re a Facebook user, you may want to change your password as soon as possible out of precaution.

According to a report from Forbes, up to one million Facebook users’ accounts could be compromised after malware apps on Androids and iPhones tried to steal passwords.

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The malware was detected over the last year, disguising itself as different kinds of apps, which include fake photo editors, games, health trackers and more, according to Forbes.

All of the malware apps were downloaded from the Apple and Google Play stores.

Most of the apps required a Facebook log-in for app access, and some even had two-step authentication, but Forbes said the app developers could’ve still gotten illegal access to the accounts.

According to Forbes, Meta said it plans to notify Facebook users if their accounts were infected by the malware. Though, it’s unclear how Meta found which accounts were compromised.

Even if you haven’t been notified that your account has been compromised, it’s still a good idea to change your password out of precaution.

If you’re unsure of how to change your Facebook account password, follow this link here for a step-by-step guide.

Meta has contacted Apple and Google about the malware. According to Forbes, of the 400 total malware apps, 45 of them were in the Apple Store and have since been removed.


About the Author:

Cody King is a digital journalist for KSAT 12. She previously worked for WICS/WRSP 20 in Springfield, Illinois.