How does one hack a Facebook account? That’s a burning question that seemingly everyone wants to know on the internet. Everyone has been requesting this one!
Recently, a team of security researchers from Positive Technologies found that as long as someone has the phone number associated with a Facebook account, they can actually take full control of the person’s account. Of course, the perpetrator would need to be savvy and possess some hacking skills to start with.
So… if you have those hacking skills, then this article is for you.
A flaw in the SS7 protocol makes it easier than you’d think to hack someone’s Facebook account. This SS7 flaw is no joke! We’ll mention better security measures you can take to protect yourself online later on.
It might help to watch the first 60 seconds of this YouTube video to give you some extra context. When you’re done, read on below. I’ll personally show you how to hack a Facebook account on a mobile device or desktop.
Hacker strategies can range from listening in on targeted phone calls to sending and receiving text messages from their target’s phone number.
What is the SS7 flaw that makes this hack possible?
Signaling System Number 7, or SS7 in short, is a telephony signaling protocol that over 800 telecom operators worldwide use to exchange information with one another. Information such as cross-carrier billing, roaming ability, and other features all work through SS7. However, an issue with the SS7 network is that it trusts all messages it receives without checking their origin. So, malicious hackers could potentially trick SS7 into diverting text messages and calls to their personal devices.
They need the target person’s phone number and certain details of their device to initiate their silent snooping. The aforementioned researcher’s team demonstrated the Facebook hack using similar tricks, as reported by Forbes. SS7 has been known to be vulnerable for years, despite it being the most advanced encryption used by cellular networks. The design flaws in SS7 have been circulating since 2014, when the researchers at German Security Research Labs brought them to light.
Before we discuss this cool hack, you might as well want to earn passively through survey apps like PrizeRebel, SurveyJunkie, and the like. Inviting your friends to join you in doing this fun will also give you some bucks for your business.
- First, the wannabe hacker needs to click on the “Forgot account?” link on Facebook’s homepage. Then, Facebook will ask for the email address or phone number linked to the target account.
- After that, the attacker can now use their skills to divert the SMS containing a one-time passcode (OTP) to their own computer or phone. Then, they can subsequently log in to the Facebook account associated with the number.
This issue affects all Facebook users who have registered a phone number with Facebook and have authorized Facebook Texts. Additionally, the researchers’ work shows that any service that uses SMS to verify accounts is vulnerable to the same type of hack.
How to keep your account as secure as possible:
This may take some time to fix, so here’s what you can do in the meantime to protect yourself:
Regarding SMS protection:
- Do not link your phone number to social networking sites. Rely on recovery emails to secure your account on Facebook or other social media.
- Use two-factor authentication that does not use SMS texts for receiving OTP codes.
- Only use communication apps that offer “end-to-end encryption” to protect your data.
Other basic security measures to prevent getting hacked:
- Protect your password: Make it hard to guess, or use a password manager. Nowadays, Google Chrome can tell you if your password has been compromised.
- Never give out any login information: There should never be a reason someone asks you for your login info, especially online. Never give this out.
- Don’t accept random friend requests: These could be people trying to get your phone number so they can perform the SS7 hack we just talked about.
- Avoid clicking on any suspicious links sent to you by your friends or other accounts: A common hack is to send out links that compromise your security. Don’t click!
So, this is all about how one can hack someone else’s Facebook account, as long as they have a phone number associated with their account. Hopefully, the SS7 flaw is fixed quickly because essentially, we’re all at risk. Soon, we will come out with an article in more detail on how to increase your cybersecurity when it comes to Facebook.
If you know of any other software flaws or loopholes that could compromise a Facebook account, let us know in the comments and we will report on it right away.
Stay safe online!
If you’re looking for more info about how to use Facebook safely, check out these articles below:
Editor’s note: This article is just informative and does not encourage any hacking. To hack a Facebook account may constitute a severely punishable crime. Avoid this behavior.
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