Advertising with embedded virus

Over the past couple of days I have noticed that one of your ads has a virus embedded in it.

On occation an ad that pretend to "scan" your coputer for "harmful" items, malware, virus, etc will pop up, taking over the browsing session, and requiring us users to clse the browser, and perform a real scan of our system.

This is rather disruptive, and could potentially cause serious harm to a users system. Depending on the user, and system; this could potentially get rather ugly.

Anyway, you might want to look into it.

When browsing ATS on my phone, i often and suddenly get redirected to another page called AVS over 18, sometimes to exGFtube and sometimes to a page that's asking me to disable wifi in order to identify me. This doesn't happen with any other sites that I visit so I'd love to know what's going on.

reply to post by RMFX1


I don't use a phone to get on the internet, so I may have a small advantage there, maybe.

The problem lies with copanies like adsense. it seems they don't properly vet their advertisers.

A method of deploying malware poped up a year or two ago; embed the malware in advertising. It seems to work rather well.

But, the problems of virus delevery isn't the biggest issue. The advertisers, while their ad is visible, may have access to adsense, and ATS cookies. This could be a serious security issue as well.

reply to post by AnthraAndromda

I get a pop-up blocker window that has a downloads.exe file trying to scan my stuff...only here though.

I'll grab a screen when it prompts me to. I thought I already had one. Oh well.

reply to post by loveguy


You might want to try this.


Connect your phone to your P.C.
Do exactly what you have done and download the .exe to you pc.
Run a simulation mode of the phone your using and start analyzing the software attempting to install itself.

reply to post by cerebralassassins


I like the way you think.

2

Originally posted by AnthraAndromda
Over the past couple of days I have noticed that one of your ads has a virus embedded in it.

On occation an ad that pretend to "scan" your coputer for "harmful" items, malware, virus, etc will pop up, taking over the browsing session, and requiring us users to clse the browser, and perform a real scan of our system.

This is rather disruptive, and could potentially cause serious harm to a users system. Depending on the user, and system; this could potentially get rather ugly.

Anyway, you might want to look into it.

Which ad?

Ive been here since 2007...and [embarassingly] here nearly every day and thruout the day (sometimes I just dont log out - even if not at computer) and have never received a virus from ATS...

It could be from some other site you visit.

Anyways, run CCleaner, SuperAntiSpyWare or one of the other many free tools out there.....anything should get cleaned up....

Ads will be ads. They learn fr0m the best. Chalk it up fr0m that.
Phone tricks neat

Originally posted by greeneyedleo

Originally posted by AnthraAndromda
Over the past couple of days I have noticed that one of your ads has a virus embedded in it.

On occation an ad that pretend to "scan" your coputer for "harmful" items, malware, virus, etc will pop up, taking over the browsing session, and requiring us users to clse the browser, and perform a real scan of our system.

This is rather disruptive, and could potentially cause serious harm to a users system. Depending on the user, and system; this could potentially get rather ugly.

Anyway, you might want to look into it.

Which ad?

Ive been here since 2007...and [embarassingly] here nearly every day and thruout the day (sometimes I just dont log out - even if not at computer) and have never received a virus from ATS...

It could be from some other site you visit.

Anyways, run CCleaner, SuperAntiSpyWare or one of the other many free tools out there.....anything should get cleaned up....

I couldn't tell. I would click on a thread to read, and it would take over my browser. I'll try to get more details when / if it happens again. I have a software develoment system, and I'll see if I can "attach" that thing to my debugger.

Thanks

reply to post by AnthraAndromda


Is call the malware antivirus scan, the only way to avoid it from installing in your computer is never to click in the link when it pops up, just get the task manager and close from the task manager the page that is running under.

Once you click the link it will take over.,
This scam has already been addressed by the U.S. Department of Justice the offending scam artist were fined for it.

But some bits and pieces of it are still going around in the net.

For more information you can link to this site that explains in detail what kind of virus scam is and how to deal with.

How to avoid the nasty fake antivirus scam

www.msnbc.msn.com...

This particular virus took my old computer and I wasn't able to do anything in it until I found a way to get it out of the register.

Nasty nasty stuff.

reply to post by marg6043


This was a bit ore of an "aut-launc" setup. When I navigated to a board areacontaining the offencive ad; it immeadiately took over the browsing session, and started its "bogus" scan.

In my case, it has something on the order of 1.5 terabytes to scan, so I was able to use the "task manager" to stop it. It did not wait for me to click on any control. An immeadiate virus scan (Microsft security essentials) showed no virus installed, and no "damage" to my file structure.

Further, I found on the second event; that if One simply closes their browser, they may avoid most of the trouble. Though I would certainly recommend a scan before continuing.

Yes, it is quite nasty.

reply to post by AnthraAndromda


Yes, that is because the part of it that used to take over the computer was taken out of the scam program, but if you read the link it tells that is still bit and pieces of it in the net, but no the worst of it.

When I got this virus last year, I got the whole thing, it was the worst virus I had to deal with, it took complete control of my laptop and I was not able to use the computer at all every time I open the browser it will direct me to a page to buy the antivirus.

I still get sometimes the virus scam advertising pop pop, when I am browsing around but so far closing the link is all it takes to get rid of it.

But that is because I just run out of my Norton membership and I have not pay for the next one.

Originally posted by AnthraAndromda
reply to post by marg6043

 

This was a bit ore of an "aut-launc" setup. When I navigated to a board areacontaining the offencive ad; it immeadiately took over the browsing session, and started its "bogus" scan.

In my case, it has something on the order of 1.5 terabytes to scan, so I was able to use the "task manager" to stop it. It did not wait for me to click on any control. An immeadiate virus scan (Microsft security essentials) showed no virus installed, and no "damage" to my file structure.

Further, I found on the second event; that if One simply closes their browser, they may avoid most of the trouble. Though I would certainly recommend a scan before continuing.

Yes, it is quite nasty.

Relying on Microsoft security anything is your first problem. Your second is not having good security like AVG (free and there are others too). Dont use Microsoft. Dont use Norton. Dont use McAfee.......free stuff like AVG is better.

Like I said, use CCleaner, Hitman Pro, SuperAntiSpyWare or one of the many other free programs out there. MS sucks and wont find most of the crap out there....

reply to post by AnthraAndromda


SkepticOverlord has been made aware of the issue. Occasionally an ad slips through that is infected with malware and he is usually pretty prompt about getting it isolated and taken out of the rotation.

reply to post by greeneyedleo


Please! I am a Microsoft Partner. I provide ISV and Web services to a wide range of industry. SO...I'll take my own advice on this, thank you.

ETA: Sorry about that! I didn't mean to "bark".

Originally posted by GAOTU789
reply to post by AnthraAndromda

 

SkepticOverlord has been made aware of the issue. Occasionally an ad slips through that is infected with malware and he is usually pretty prompt about getting it isolated and taken out of the rotation.

Yeah, I know this can happen to anybody. Wan't too worried about it, but thought you should be aware.

Thanks y'all.

Originally posted by loveguy
reply to post by AnthraAndromda

 

I get a pop-up blocker window that has a downloads.exe file trying to scan my stuff...only here though.

I'll grab a screen when it prompts me to. I thought I already had one. Oh well.

Yeah, my screen went black for an instant too.