Facebook and Twitter Went Ugly in Pakistan, Allowing Random Logins -

By Aamir Attaa | 13, Jun 2010 | 67 Comments

Today evening in a strange situation, Twitter and Facebook users, apparently in Pakistan only and those too on PTCL only (updates suggest that Micronet customers too) , were able to log-in to random accounts with complete access and control over others’ Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Problem was identified with web interfaces (and not the APIs) as those who tried to logged in with their username/password were randomly re-directed to other users’ accounts. They could read the messages, DMs, could follow other users meaning a complete control over someone’s account.

This happened with Ufone too, someone logged in to their account and started tweeting unknown URLs, but that happened 2 days ago!

We are not sure, neither we were able to get official version on this from PTCL, but it looks the problem is related to internet gateway connectivity glitch, or maybe mis-handled by mis-directed cookies at PTCL’s end.

We earlier had a similar problem with Warid GPRS, which used to allow random logins for Facebook Mobile users.

We have seen such instacenes in past too, for example, similar sort of bug appeared for AT&T users in January 2010, which later got fixed.

On a similar note, ISPs concerned must address the problem at earliest, or otherwise the world will be doomed earlier than scheduled. While users must understand this that anything on cyber-world is not secure, so be sure when you send/share/save files on email/social media/internet.

Update: Problem is widening as more users are now complaining the same issue. We were able to get following screen-shot from a ProPakistani reader, who logged in with this known account, with access to private messages, chat, images and videos. We are not posting snapshot of private messages (for obvious reasons).

Update: Facebook has apparently blocked PTCL’s IP range, leaving all PTCL customers with following message:

http://propakistani.pk Muhammad Zohair Chohan

That’s funny and dangerous at the same time :D
- http://www.making-your-own-website.com Nabeel | Create Your First Website
  
  Yes WTH is going on?
http://www.facebook.com/humza Humza Yousaf

yeas,it’s true many of my friends encountered the same problem on their facebook homepages,they refreshed it like 20 times,and each time a new profile :D
- http://mabdullahkhan.com Abdullah
  
  never thought PTCL’s mistakes(bhunds) can go thing wrong. although i am not using PTCL from few days now but after my friends told me that they could log into random accounts made me think i should login with PTCL again. but you never know if somebody will be able to edit my profile in between.
http://technocolony.cz.cc TechnoColony

Yes! we also get this few hours ago!
Khurram Zahid

Its also happening with Google and on PTCL connection. Its been happening for three days, when I sing-in to google reader, it goes into someone else account, and the best part is its never gets sign-out no matter how many time I click on sign-out button…
Dr.Doom

It happened to me too.
LOL i look all the mails of my friends.
Whenever i open a new tab someone else profiles opens!!
sadaffayyaz

Happening to flickr too, besides fb n twitter. I see someone elses profile. Dsnt log out…change passwords recommended… I faced this prblem 2 days back on flickr, yesday twitter now today fb. Some data insecurity issue
crap

i have been browsing girls’ profiles at the same time how scary this is as i dont know if someone else will be browsing my mesgs too

[comment Edited]
http://google.com uzee

firstlt facebook was not wroking well after the ban was lifted..and now today this…PTCL is pathectic..
- http://thetechnopath.com UzEE
  
  Whao this is a trademark breach =/
  
  You can’t just copy the name dude!
  - http://propakistani.pk Muhammad Zohair Chohan
    
    LOL :P
kashif

Update: Problem is widening as more users are not complaining the same issue.

read this line again and fix it
Faizan

gudmorning facebook doing dis 2 me rite now is every thing ok?
You are trying to access Facebook from an IP (Internet Protocol) address that has been associated with abusive behavior. You may request to have this block lifted from Facebook by contacting us below.
Pak_hackers-X

I told you we will _-___ facebook and twitter but you never posted my comment.

look we have done it. We can do any thing for Muhammad SAW….

[Comment Edited]
- Shaheer
  
  Um…no dude, we didn’t _-___ facebook or twitter. This is actually putting OUR privacy in jeopardy.
  
  And if yo wanna _-___ stuff up and think you’re doing it for our Holy Prophet, go try it with the whole internet, ban google, ban youtube, ban everything because stuff against Islam is everywhere…but is that the right way to do it? We can’t force someone to REMOVE stuff against our religion, thats his/her point of view…so why not FIX the religion’s image instead of banning websites which most people use it for FUN while there are a few who have been greatly benefited by establishing small business, fans, groups and societies through them?
Pak_hackers-X

U.S thinks that he controls the internet.. but he is not… We the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Iran are the cyber warriors.
http://www.pickmore.com Talal Masood

The problem is with the PTA. I think they have installed some filters at the backend to monitor accounts, which went wrong. They are caching to give users high speed of Internet. This similar kind of problem used to happen in the Dialup era with ‘One Net’. This is the problem only because of caching. Now beside the profile page of someone else, facebook is blocking the IP Addresses of Pakistan. The problem is getting strange.

and by the way .. I’m getting logged into some girl’s profile :D
Yasir Hussain Syed

Yesterday i faced exactly the same situation….now today when i open facebook it says

http://i46.tinypic.com/2vshyww.jpg
Bilal Hashim

The moment i read this article this happened…whats goin on with ptcl these days? :@
http://chamkani.net MOXET

yeah…
i am also logged in as Jui_jesan
shit…
Tayyab

yes i also face this problem last day.. i was surprized… when i access 5 diffrent facebook a/c, full access on message, etc.
Dr.Doom

Now facebook has blocked has :(
I can not access it,Says my IP is blocked
BrightBoy

Thanks GOD , I’ve LINKdotNET :)
http://facebook.com/naumanrk Nauman

yeah it has happend to me too yesterday in the early morning, and today facebook has block my IP saying you IP has been detected as abusive….

Dont know who has abused, me or facebook… :P
Avinash

lol shit, m getting the same problem! and now facebook has banned my ip! It says BAD IP :@ etc..Hack attempt ! heck man..
junaid

yaar my ip has been blocked
http://www.facebook.com/humza Humza Yousaf

yes i am facing the same problem :O
using PTCL DSL

here’s the screenshot >>
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/7437/badfbcopy.jpg
Jehanzeb

Im really happy to see that
May it becomes full of bugs
Kay

I have been using facebook since morning and it works perfectly well!
- Hisham
  
  Stop lying son.
- Ali
  
  The problem is only with PTCL.
Syed Moazzam Ali

yeah it started yesterday but i can access to twitter and fb from my wireless router i mean if u have wifi enabled cell ph n ptcl dsl with wireless router u can get connected easily
Syed Moazzam Ali

yeah it started yesterday but i can access to twitter and fb from my wireless router i mean if u have wifi enabled cell ph n ptcl dsl with wireless router u can get connected easily so it will be fine on phns
Gulraiz

I am getting following errors..

Access Restricted (Bad IP)
You are trying to access Facebook from an IP (Internet Protocol) address that has been associated with abusive behavior. You may request to have this block lifted from Facebook by contacting us below.
http://monisiqbal.blogspot.com Monis Iqbal

Is the profile switching happening among PTCL (Pakistan) users only? or has any of you accessed a profile that maybe out of Pakistan?
- Syed Moazzam Ali
  
  i have accessed profile outside of PAk n many
http://www.symbians60soft.blogspot.com Bilal Anwar Baloch

Facebook blocked my dsl ip address and giving me this address;
“You are trying to access Facebook from an IP (Internet Protocol) address that has been associated with abusive behavior. You may request to have this block lifted from Facebook by contacting us below.” i dont know why they are blocking ip address.
Daniyal

This is Bad… I have also been logged into with someone else’s IDs girls boys. But as far as I have experienced, we can not do any modifications… Hopefuly not. anyways, hopefully it will be fixed soon..
Suhaib Jamal

Nayatel’s IP also got blocked and it gives the Access Blocked (Bad IP)error.
http://imranhunzai.wordpress.com Imran Hunzai

This is not just limited to facebook and twitter. Users in Pakistan are experiencing such issues with most of the social site.

http://imranhunzai.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/a-new-surprise-by-facebook/
http://j4jumpy.net Sanwal

Another article on Facebook: Access Restricted (Bad IP)
http://j4jumpy.net/2010/life-style/technology-life-style/facebook-access-restricted-bad-ip.htm
N

I am NOT a PTCL user, but in fact am a user of Micronet. Irrespective, I am also facing both issues. Random logins and Restricted Access. I think the issue goes beyond PTCL. Serious privacy issues are beginning to surface. It needs to be taken up on a bigger forum to ensure that the Facebook team works to resolve it.
http://careerpakistan.blogspot.com/ Salman

Thats quite strange for popular services like fb and twitter.
Daniyal Yasin

I got the access restricted message but if you click on facebook button you can again login..
Maryam

happening with me too.. and i have PTCL..
i have been so freaked out. i got a random fb profile everytime.. twitter too. and yeah the access denied thing is coming now
i hope this gets resolved soon :S
Faraz

I feel its due to ISP side configuration issue.
Dell

It happened with wikipedia also….
http://www.hertz.ciit.net.pk Fahad Saleem

Today I am facing same problem on Blogger.com
Callmeanything

& now its happening on youtube …i wonder if someone else can view my profile ?? o_O
Hammad

Yesterday, same incident happened with me, when i was trying to login at hotmail with an ID and i was shocked to see that…..
My hotmail account mailbox has been opened successfully :)
http://www.twitter.com/3DEEJAYZ DJ SAAD

Agree with Danyal…it only opens the profiles or messages but it could not make any changes with that profiles as u are not logged in with that profile…

This was happened with me too 2 days back…it opened some unknown persons profiles and each time i refreshed it opened some new profiles.

To get Rid of this Situation All you have to do is Don`t be Panic aur don`t just start Refreshing the page OR else it will say “YOU HAVE ATTEMPTED EXCEEDED NUMBERS OF LOGINS“

So leave that Browser and open another Browser and Then Login to your FB or Twitter account…it will work,mine worked…and Make sure u Don`t Click Any Links WHILE U ARE FACING RANDOM LOGINS…

@Pak_hackers-X…Ya MAN we Also Did Alot of Damage To FB servers by Pingin aTTacks on Fb Servers with All Pak and Turkish Hackers…and in Future we will Defend these sites like this.
no matter USA controls internet or any other individual controls.

So guys Hope this situation fixes soon and PTCL should take notice on this coz lots of students use PTCL connections.
M.Asad

I am also suffering from this problem from last 7 days. so whats the solution.
Sanam

when will they fix it :(
Emo

I’m also facing this shity problem,
but whenever i login, it’s always my own profile..but i can’t upload pics! i hope it’ll be fix soon! x|
http://Easy-Life-Gadget.blogspot.com Faisal Iqbal

here it is a message from facebook i received :

“”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"

Hi,

Thanks for writing in to Facebook. We’re sorry you are experiencing problems accessing your account. There is an ISP delivering Internet traffic to certain IP addresses in Pakistan that is misconfigured in such a way that it has the effect of exposing one user’s data to other users. This affects all web sites, not just Facebook. In the interest of protecting our users’ privacy, we are blocking the ISP until their misconfiguration is resolved. We are also reaching out to the appropriate administrators to help them expedite their fix. In addition, we are working on automated ways to more quickly detect third-party network errors like this.

You will not be able to use this ISP to access your Facebook account until their error is resolved. We encourage you to contact your Internet service provider to bring this error to their attention.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Thanks,
The Facebook Team

“”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"
- Sheraz Sethi
  
  Dear Faisal
  Smae reply i got from Face book
  Wat the hell is this PTCl doing
  i already complaint to PTA
  go to complaint section and do complaint over there
- Sheraz Sethi
  
  http://www.pta.gov.pk
  
  go to complaint section and do complaint over there.
http://Easy-Life-Gadget.blogspot.com Faisal Iqbal

bcoz all of you guys who are using ptcl dsl, you must remove the proxy from your network setting which they set upped you! Just check the detect the settings automatically is good!
Emo

Heyy guyz, i just found out the solution i hope it’ll work http://facebookunblocker.co.uk/ cliick to facebook and write your id and password then press ok after 3 mins go to your real facebook.. :)
http://www.twitter.com/3DEEJAYZ DJ SAAD

@EMO…it was for unblocking when PTA banned Facebook…but now the Bann is lifted…so no need to do that

Just Follow the instruction what Faisal told :)
it will work.
Emo

@Dj saad: I know but i don’t see that ip error stuff now, even when i upload any pics….!
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shahryar

request friendship
- http://Easy-LifeStyle-Gadgets.blogspot.com Faisal Iqbal
  
  join me at there paki dot faisal @ gmail dot com
syamimie

is no many question???????????
i just found out solution i hope it’ll
syamimie

join to you is not good
but is my friend no many question anddddddddddd nothing the any question/////////////