Meta's Oculus Faces Repeated Hacks, Prompting Safety Reevaluation By Users

By Thea Felicity

Feb 27, 2024 01:50 PM EST

(Photo : Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
BURLINGAME, CALIFORNIA - MAY 04: Meta employee Dennis Hampton demonstrates a video game that is played using the Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset at the new Meta Store on May 04, 2022 in Burlingame, California. Meta is set to open its first physical retail store on May 9.

Vietnamese hackers have been wreaking havoc within Meta's social media ecosystem, exploiting vulnerabilities in the Oculus system and resulting in the false suspension of thousands of Facebook accounts, according to Cyber News' reports citing the Reddit community r/facebook

The hackers believed to be operating from Vietnam, clandestinely link Oculus Meta accounts to unsuspecting victims' social media accounts, triggering unauthorized access alerts and subsequent suspensions.

Most impressively, the hackers even bypassed two-factor authentication measures, leaving affected users stranded without assistance from Facebook or Meta help centers.

Dan Astin-Gregory, a content creator whose Facebook account fell victim to the hack, shed light on the situation's urgency.

 "Victims urge Facebook and Meta to take immediate action to address this security vulnerability, safeguarding the integrity of users' accounts, and to restore accounts suspended due to the violations of the hackers."

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Meta's Cybersecurity Issues

The hacking incident further puts to light the ongoing challenges Meta faces, particularly since the integration of Oculus Meta accounts with Facebook profiles and subsequent decoupling efforts in 2022.

Despite the introduction of Meta Accounts to allow Quest users to separate their devices from Facebook profiles, multiple accounts remain linked, worsening the impact of Oculus account compromises on Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Dan Astin-Gregory further elaborated on the frustrating situation, noting that "Users are sent in an endless loop, unable to appeal the suspension given that it is Oculus accounts created by 3rd parties that are creating the issue." 

Such accounts' infiltration poses a significant threat to users' digital security. It highlights Meta's need for swift and effective action to address the vulnerabilities and restore users' trust in its platforms.

Meta has yet to release a statement regarding this.

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