Aug.23/09: Are computer viruses active on ATS again?

I know we have a computer issues forum on BTS but I think my question is relevant here.

Are other ATS members having issues with their web browser such that they are beginning to suspect that ATS is dishing up infections with its pop-ups or through some other means.

The computer I am using is starting to exhibit the "blacked out" menu items in IE8 that I associate with trouble. I don't surf porno on this computer. The most scurrilous place I go to with this machine is ATS, so I want to raise the alarm, alert the powers that be, etc., that I think we are under attack. May the force be with you.

I'm surprised ATS has resorted to pop-ups.

It's quite disappointing.

I never noticed until I went on at a comp at work that doesn't have a blocker.

Yep...

Firefox and Noscript

No Bother...

ATS has pop-up? REALLY? i thought they only had side ads,the side ads were enough of a nuinisanse,about helping children and blabla..
man thats a big dissapointment,how do they expect me to browse the site without adblock so i can help the site make money,if they show pop ups in my mouth? pop ups are probably even more malicious.
not every person here is l33t,some might click and get infected.even i got kinda scamed my first time using the internet would u believe

This issue came up before. That's why I dated the thread, because it will probably come up again. The last time, voices from on high, within the byzantine ruling elite on the site, came clean about it and said they were on the case. Shortly afterward, the problem went away. I think they dropped one of their advertisers. Is it time to tip over the money changers tables again?

Not sure if it is related....Twice in the last week or so I've had a PDF file download when I went to a thread page...I didn't tell the system to download anything, but apparently a page, or pages here on ATS dropped a pdf file. I didn't have adobe installed here, so it wouldn't open, or anything, but the fact tat it showed up in the first place bugged me. I'm mostly using Chrome.

reply to post by KSPigpen

I don't know if I have experienced the automatic .pdf download. At present I just have browser functionality problems. I did go into the Internet Tools menu and switch to blocking all pop-ups. I'll have to see how that works out. In the meantime I will just have to run my ativirus, Hijack This, etc.

Originally posted by KSPigpen
Not sure if it is related....Twice in the last week or so I've had a PDF file download when I went to a thread page...I didn't tell the system to download anything, but apparently a page, or pages here on ATS dropped a pdf file. I didn't have adobe installed here, so it wouldn't open, or anything, but the fact tat it showed up in the first place bugged me. I'm mostly using Chrome.

One possibility is that an advertiser, without knowledge or approval of ATS, can insert malicious script into an ad that can try to serve you a pdf file which if you weren't trying to download a pdf file when it popped up, or going to a web link that is a pdf file, could be malware. Pdf is a popular format for malware these days, here's an example:

www.finjan.com...

LuckySploit tries to exploit the same vulnerabilities other toolkits are trying to - Adobe Flash and PDF exploits

So obviously do NOT accept a pdf file you weren't trying to download. It's probably malware.

Same here, sometimes when I go to a thread I get redirected to some anti-virus page, and ats is pretty much the only site I come on this computer, besides windows update.

I'm running Opera and IE8

IE8?

Well, right there's your problem.

I am having problems and picking up viruses, my son keeps fixing, using fire fox now avoiding IE

Originally posted by Uniceft17
Same here, sometimes when I go to a thread I get redirected to some anti-virus page, and ats is pretty much the only site I come on this computer, besides windows update.

I'm running Opera and IE8

Yup I know what you mean.

I've had some ads from ATS start downloading program files onto my laptop. But I have a Mac so it's easy to catch. I always report it when that happens, report the page I was on.

It hasn't happened to me for a few weeks. I'm on ad-free now but I still get ads in BTS.

I run on Safari

[edit on 8/23/2009 by ravenshadow13]

I've had issues with visiting sites I always go to. I visited one site and it opened up adobe (I had v.5.0, I never updated it lol) and I looked in my task manager and saw e.exe.
It's a nasty bug, so I suggest getting the latest version of Adobe, as the newest one will ask if you want to open up the .pdf file.

Originally posted by Arbitrageur

One possibility is that an advertiser, without knowledge or approval of ATS, can insert malicious script into an ad that can try to serve you a pdf file which if you weren't trying to download a pdf file when it popped up, or going to a web link that is a pdf file, could be malware. Pdf is a popular format for malware these days, here's an example:

This is pretty much the case. The ad server company might or might not know about it by now. It's fairly trivial for a malicious scripter to get their scripts into rotation by simply purchasing ad rotations through an ad serving company by using a straw business or a hijacked business identity. It's not just ATS.

Looks like it's going to be a busy week. Ka-Ching!

Originally posted by Stillalive
not every person here is l33t,some might click and get infected.even i got kinda scamed my first time using the internet would u believe

I know it's off topic but I would love to know more about this.

Did you think a Nigerian Prince's banker wanted to give you $200 million?

I forget the title of the thread ,but as soon as I clicked on it a music video started playing and my antivirus program kicked in to stop it

well i was younger and i just got internet,and i sreiously belived i have won a free boat trip what a noob i am
ads are one thing but downloading files to your pc?
what the .....ATS? fix this stuff before you lose our trust

I've not experienced this, and I'm on ATS quite a bit.

The next time someone encounters this issue, it would be exceptionally helpful if you could make note of the ads that are showing.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord

I haven't seen this problem yet on ATS either but I saw it on another site, where the site admin wasn't seeing it. I surmised that the context-sensitive nature of the google ads being served resulted in the admin seeing different ads than me since we were visiting different areas of the site.

But if I see it on ATS I'll be sure to collect details.