Facebook reveals attack by computer virus

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MENLO PARK, Calif., Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Facebook has been the victim of a "sophisticated" targeted cyberattack, but no user information has been compromised, company officials say.

The attack occurred last month when some Facebook employees visited a website that hosted malware, Facebook reported Friday on its website.

The malware invaded the employees' laptops, which Facebook said where "fully-patched and running up-to-date anti-virus software."

"As soon as we discovered the presence of the malware, we remediated all infected machines, informed law enforcement, and began a significant investigation that continues to this day," officials said.

"We have found no evidence that Facebook user data was compromised," they added.

Facebook described the malware as a previously unseen "exploit" that was installed by bypassing built-in protections.

The site said it notified Oracle of the malware. The company provided Facebook with a patch on Feb. 1.

Facebook said while "it is clear" that others have been attacked and infiltrated by the malware, the social networking site was among the first companies to discover the bug. Facebook said it had shared details about the computer virus with the other affected companies and would continue to collaborate with them to deal with the incident.