Possilbly cause of SYSTEMDOCTOR Popups!

"DRIVE CLEANER"

This AD is FLASH
I am LOGGED IN

It shows up maybe 10% of the time on the FRONT PAGE at the BOTTOM.

It seems to generate the SYSTEMDOCTOR/ERRORSAFE POPUP scam.

They hijack my browser and take me automatically to their website. These are commonly known as TROJANS!

Here is a pic of the offending ad:



Here is the URL when clicked (it is flash so i had to actually click it!):
media.fastclick.net...

Here is the site it is redirected to:
www.errorsafe.com...

Errorsafe is malware.

I believe this ad is infected, or on an infected Ad Server. Systemdoctor and Errorsafe have been known to infect Ad Servers.

Please look into this. This is not a local virus on my computer. I have scanned for the last 5 days with 5 virus scanners 4 adware scanners and full version Norton's and trend Internet securities. No virus found on my pc. Only happens on ATS.

I hope this information helps. These types of spyware are hurting ATS.

Edit:
Just confirmed. "DRIVE CLEANER" Ad is definitely creating spamming pop ups that closes and redirects my browser. This ad has popped up 3 times since I have posted this thread and each time Drive Cleaner Ad was present!

[edit on 4-9-2006 by Toasty]

McAfee caught one bug from an infected ad and from what I heard that bug was not a threat to an up-to-date Windows operating system. So far, I've had no problems. By the way, I have Comcast cable and MSN Premium and both offer McAfee free.

My system is up-to-date. This is not a local virus, this is a scamming ad on ATS. There is no virus present, until it is installed from the redirected website that the ad takes you too. The ad might also use geotargeting so that not everyone gets the ad, only a random few to keep it on the down low.

Well, I'm on ATS virtually all the time and I've never seen it. I don't have any pop-ups at all on this site.

This is not just an issue with me. Many other ATS users have also reported it lately, but have unable to find the source. It definitely selective, not all ATS users experience it. But most only experience it on ATS. Its an Ad. It has to be. A zone targeted ad.

[edit on 4-9-2006 by Toasty]

Originally posted by Toasty
My system is up-to-date. This is not a local virus, this is a scamming ad on ATS. There is no virus present, until it is installed from the redirected website that the ad takes you too. The ad might also use geotargeting so that not everyone gets the ad, only a random few to keep it on the down low.

Did you get a Java Script error? That's when it all started for me. Like you I've done scan after scan (virus/spyware/adware).

What I find interesting is when this happens, I run a command prompt window and run 'netstat -a'. I then see an established connection from double-click or any of the other ad-server systems. This is not behaviour I have seen before.

As I stated somewhere else, I think these servers are conveniently infected.

I get exactly the same thing, although my popup blocker tries to stop it it ends up crashing and i get booted off ATS and have to reenter. Always because of SYSTEM DOCTOR. I have scanned my computer as well and it's found nothing. Only on ATS.

It especially sucks when i've just finished typing a big post, am about to submit and it crashes!

I almost threw my laptop out the window the other day!

Would love some help/ advice on this...

I have this problem as well, and so does many other members...
www.belowtopsecret.com...
www.belowtopsecret.com...

No virus program, security update, malware remover or spyware tracer is able to track down this problem and/or remove it. I've tried everything, and I mean everything.

Toasty I don't agree with you that this add is the culprit (although it isn't far from impossible)... The add that's up when I'm "hit" is usually a girl scouts add...

I gave up on trying the fix the problem...

If its not an Ad, then i am totally at a loss. I'm seriously thinking of taking an extended break from ATS because I cant even visit the site without the popup booting me out and crashing the browser within the first 5 mins. I love this site and come here nearly everyday. I hope it gets solved to, not just for my sake, but for many other ATS's and ATS itself.

This happens to myself as well,a week or two ago i did a full reinstall of my pc within ten to fifteen minutes on ATS i was being redirected again by the browser jacker (lol thanx for the lingo Gem)

Now all i do when redirected is hit the back button once or twice and hope for a different ad which is`nt causeing the problem ,it works approx 75% of the time for me.

Edit to add
Also what i find is if i`m on ATS and open another window then go back and browse ATS,when i get redirected it redirects the new window not the ATS page.
Might be worth say opening your homepage in a new window after coming to ATS as a sacrifice if your prepareing a long post and protect it that way maybe?

[edit on 4-9-2006 by gps777]

give this a try, next time it happens.
Right click on it and copy the url and close the properties window.
Next right click on Internet Security Settings down on the right corner if your using IE
Next click Restricted sites and past the url you had copied, I think that may cure your problem IMHO.
good luck

Originally posted by kojac

It especially sucks when i've just finished typing a big post, am about to submit and it crashes!

Now, I have had this problem, but in my case, it's not related to an ad. It hasn't happened for awhile.

You sound pretty savvy about computers, so I hate to offer advice being a relative novice, but do you have the usual protection software, such as CCleaner, Adaware, Spybot, Spyware Blaster, and CWShredder?

Here's an idea, stop using Internet Explorer!!!

Time to finally make the switch to Firefox, Opera, or another. It will save you all many headaches.

I don't want to hear about, "I can't DL a new browser on my computer at work".

If you're at work, get to it and stop surfin & wasting time you're being payed for.

Got firefox, use it with explorer also. Happens to firefox too. Its no better. Was the first thing I tried. Wish the answer was that simple.

Have you sent SO a u2u with your findings?

If not, please do.

Thanks!

Originally posted by Toasty
Happens to firefox too. Its no better.

Actually, it's much better.

It just depends on the plug-ins that you choose to use.

I never get unwanted pop-ups with it.

Originally posted by redmage

Originally posted by Toasty
Happens to firefox too. Its no better.

Actually, it's much better.

It just depends on the plug-ins that you choose to use.

I never get unwanted pop-ups with it.

Could you please suggest which plugins you're talking about? I'm running Firefox/Fasterfox which has some plugins for this type of thing, but I still get the occasional popups.

Originally posted by Sauron
give this a try, next time it happens.
Right click on it and copy the url and close the properties window.
Next right click on Internet Security Settings down on the right corner if your using IE
Next click Restricted sites and past the url you had copied, I think that may cure your problem IMHO.
good luck

For me, repairing the connection works pretty well for awhile.
Right-click the connection on the taskbar, select 'Repair', then wait about 30 or so minutes till your picked back up.

my computer at work has a firewall, virus scanner, and i Use firefox and this happens to me all the time.

This is a website related problem and its infecting the readers who come here. This should be a major priority for the staff.