HIJACK! (No, not THAT kind!)

various | Today | Me

[Long Cut]

I wanted to put this out because I'm SURE that there are numerous FReepers who might have had the same problems. Make no mistake...these bugs can be ruinous to one's job and reputation, and they are out there on many innocent sites. A simple popup is all it takes to get one.

I read many articles on people whose lives were nearly wrecked by them, and who were so repulsed by what they got that they threw their computers away, and swore to never use the 'net again.

There is no legal recourse; CWS and others like it are buried under many layers of internet cover. The company itself denies any wrongdoing.

Please, if you've got similar experiences, share them. Others might benefit from this knowlege, and if you've got links and advice, please share it here, too.

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PING!!!!!!!

Watch out...something wicked this way comes....

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Bump. Beware.

I spent three weeks and countless hours to learn these lessons.

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You might find this interesting.

[IVote2]

Interesting! We can never be too careful. Thanks for the instructions. I'm sure it can help others who no doubt are infected. (Hopefully not me, but I'm going to double check!)

[Long Cut]

I find it somewhat curious that this story has not made it into the major media. Surely SOMEONE in the journalism field has had this experience.

[Soaring Feather]

bump

[inflation]

I have no trouble with any of this, perhaps it's because I run Linux? ;->

[zeugma]

As an alternative to a lot of the stuff you mentioned, one solution that solves many if not most of the problems, would be to simply stop using IE. Download Mozilla and install it. You will be protected from popups, and a lot of the nastiness you encounter with IE. Aditionally, once you use tabbed browsing, you'll wonder how you lived without it.

[Right Angler]

Bump for later use

[Socratic]

Thank you for passing along this info.

[Long Cut]

I run Ad-Aware daily after an Internet session, and also CWShredder and HijackTHIS!. I update all my antivirus/anti-spyware weekly, and keep my system updated as well. I also, just before shutdown, delete ALL cookies and history files, followed by the emptying of the recycle bin.

It takes a little time, but peace of mind is worth it. These bugs pretty much compromise your whole system...even sending personall information back to their masters in some variants.

[Billthedrill]

Oh, that's an ugly one, all right. May I suggest cloning your system with Symantec's Ghost as one means of keeping a backup copy offline? The malware can't get to it if it's sitting in an envelope on your desk...

[South40]

Browser hijacking is nothing new. Run Adaware regulary and use CW Shredder. HijackThis is also a useful tool.

[Long Cut]

Beware...CWS puts out new variants almost weekly. They are working on Linux as well. It's only a matter of time. ANY system can be attacked, especially by these clowns.

This is NOT some kid in a basement...it's a company with vast resources.

[MTR]

One word - "Linux".

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I've been considering doing just that, if the problems continue. However, the latest reports I've read suggest that Mozilla is also coming under attack.

CoolWebSearch apparently has the time and resources to figure out all manner of mischief.

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Thanks..I'll look into it.

[mylife]

I just loaded firefox and attemted to delete IE but the entire uninstall folder is empty!

running mozilla firefox has made a tremendous difference.

Now to disable that nasty javascript BS

[Long Cut]

See post #15. Linux is next on their hit-list.