Facebook and Twitter Went Ugly in Pakistan, Allowing Random Logins

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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:


Tech and telecom reporter for over 15 years


  • 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

    • 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.

  • 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…

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

  • 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

  • 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]

  • firstlt facebook was not wroking well after the ban was lifted..and now today this…PTCL is pathectic..

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

    read this line again and fix it

  • 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.

  • 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]

    • 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?

  • U.S thinks that he controls the internet.. but he is not… We the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Iran are the cyber warriors.

  • 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

  • The moment i read this article this happened…whats goin on with ptcl these days? :@

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

  • 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

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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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.

  • Is the profile switching happening among PTCL (Pakistan) users only? or has any of you accessed a profile that maybe out of Pakistan?

  • 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.

  • 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..

  • Nayatel’s IP also got blocked and it gives the Access Blocked (Bad IP)error.

  • 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.

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

  • 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

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

  • 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 :)

  • 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.

  • 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|

  • 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

    “””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

  • 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…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.

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

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


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