(Vanity) Is DRUDGEREPORT.COM spreading Computer viruses?

drudgereport ^ | 12-8-04 | me

[grandpiano007]

For the last two days, every time I visit Drudge, my computer gets hijacked by some pop-up virus. Am I the only one? I have to put the Yahoo-toolbar virus scanner on it and it tells me I got a Trojan horse hijacking my computer. It does get rid of it, but what's going on? Can someone please proof me wrong, so I can look for the cause somewhere else? Or have you experienced it too. Is drudge out of money or something to allow this scumware to infect his readers' computers?

[mlbford2]

I would have to disagree with you and so would 4 program developers that I work with. There is a # of reasons that FF is better. I don't have the time right now to go into them but since I have switched to FF I have never looked back.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I've been using Netscape since Netscape 1. I use Mozilla nowadays. I have IE for those pages that need IE to work well, but I just don't like it as well.

I keep everything updated. I have firewalls, antivirus, spybot, adaware, spywareblaster and a few other things.

Most of the computer problems I have are the usual, non-viral things. I wouldn't dream of running an unpatched, unprotected computer. Everything is updated regularly.

I will never ever use a microsoft product to read email. Too much pain in the butt when other products work as good if not better, and aren't targeted as often.

Plus, I am addicted to tabs. I usually have 7 or 8 tabs open for my convenience...

[GunnyB]

Just before my problems started, he sent me an email with a travel website link in it. I opened it to retrieve the information. Within hours, my problems began. Did he infect me?

I would say that under the circumstance the probability is very high that you've been either hacked or infected. The best thing to do at this point is to back up all of your personal files (forget programs, settings, etc. for now) and run a full scan the latest version of Symantec AV you have, as well as full scans by all of the programs you've mentioned (not all at once mind you!). Do not try to use your computer during these scans - simply run them and wait until they are completely finished. Also, you should consider Symantec's Systemworks which has a really indispensable program - Windows Doctor - which will scan and fix your machine's possible misconfiguration problems.

In the longer term, you should consider upgrading to a newer OS - 98 was seriously buggy and hackable.

[Vision]

I don't think these programs have the ability to see your credit card info because the data is encrypted before it is sent.

[Vision]

I'm not aware of any program that actively stops spyware and works.

[Mountain Dewd]

I don't think anyone here cares that it is open source. Why does it bother you so much (things slowing down in Redmond?)?

The vast majority here notice a positive difference with Firefox. IE may be more "sophisticated", but you're not going to get very far arguing that it works better with people who have had their computers infected, switched to Firefox, and been clean ever since.

[Timeout]

I ran WinDoctor. It found "ActiveX contains invalid entries". I ran the fix. I also checked personal firewall. It says the most recent attack was today at 7:47am, identified as Shaw communications, Calgary...it's one of those dang long distance sites? I ran all my protection programs yesterday. I will run them again tonight. Please watch for a ping from me tonight or tomorrow. I'm really lost at this point. I'll probably go ahead and renew with Symantec today. They win.

Win 98: I had thought it was less vulnerable because it's become too rare for virus writers to bother with. It's really all I need, but maybe it's time to bite the bullet.

Should I be concerned about cr. card and bank account sites?
Is it relevant that the possible infection came in thru that email on my comcast subscription...and now the site where the hacking shows up is at Comcast's home page? Do I need to consider a new provider? Should I consider switching to the Mozilla email program and get rid of Eudora? Would any of this help?

[Smartaleck]

Is DRUDGEREPORT.COM spreading Computer viruses? <

---

this is the topic, not the merits of IE vs some other software. First, why the presumption of what browser you're using?

That aside.....If you have Windows XP, if you will update to service pack 2, it includes improvements to Internet Explorer if that's what you're running, including a pop-up block and improvements to the firewall if you're using Microsoft's.

If you don't have XP, there are several free pop up blockers available. Do a search on Google.

No single spyware program seems to block everything. The Spybot, ad-aware are good.

I personally run Spybot (there's a free version that doesn't include auto-updates, but you can do so manually.)
Webroot's spy sweeper and Spyware Blaster.
The Spyware Blaster loads into memory and blocks many "hijacker" programs.
If you run Norton Virus Protector, you may want to update to the 2004 edition which seems to catch more than previous additions.

I also run Sygate's professional firewall.

You really need to do any security updates from Microsoft. One of the latetest methods of hijacking uses codings in jpg graphic files. Microsoft has and update to handle this issue........further, Sygate will block it.

As to the Drudge site...........It doesn't appear he's running or has anything nefarious going on, just trying to make a buck using on-line ads. Some of these ads may be "spyware" or spyware like but can be defeated if you don't won't to be subjected to such. These ads are not exclusive to Drudge and you can encounter such anywhere on the web.

[JoJo Gunn]

I gave Avant a shot, but found one thing in the first minute that was just dumb. I have a folder full of bookmarked computer links which Avant of course imported. Avant opened them up three columns, covering the whole screen, with no way to get to the toolbar and close them.

[Petronski]

Typo. Yeah, right.

[Hank Rearden]

IE has the market share.
IE standards are the standards that count.

Same used to be said of AOL.

IE is Dead Browser Walking.

Within a year or so, maybe less, IE will be the AOL of the browser world - only the clueless or rank newbies will still be using IE because it came with their computer. Everyone else will be either assisting them to switch to something useful like Firefox, or will just be laughing at them.

And the computer companies looking for an edge will license Firefox as the default browser when shipped from the factory.

[John Lenin]

Use Firefox and block popups.

[Socrates1]

I said: Perhaps you should do a little homework before you make idiotic statements about "hundreds" of PC operating system.

You said "hundreds", and list (5) to "prove" your point. Assertions are not proofs.

You said: "Would it be asking too much to ask you to do the same? LMAO! "

Any evidence that I didn't? I owned several of them, and am very familiar with the rest.

You said: "As usual you didn't bother to do any research before opening your mouth, just like in your previous post. :) So sorry. :) "

They fact that I found it is my evidence. (Hint: Google) Your ignorance speaks for itself . The fact that your writing style and phraselogy is so similar reinforces the likelihood that it wasn't on of the other 499,999. I noticed you didn't deny that it was you. Nice try, but it didn't work

You said: "Until Microsoft paid out that huge dividend on Dec 2 (I got a very nice check for $6000) ."

Your bias speaks for itself, and further reinforces the speculation that you are a MS-Droid

You said: "# 3, what has that got to do with the fact that I just clobbered you so far on every single point that you brought up? and continue to do so even as we speak."

Yeah, just like Kerry won all the debates. You haven't refuted a single point yet. You just assert you narrow, prejudidiced position and pretend they are facts. Pure, sophistry.

You said: "You are losing on this thread so you go and drag up some rubbish from somewhere to shore up your fast failing defences? "

Yes, it was rubbish, and the fact that you just requoted as "proof:" of your point speaks volumes.

You said: "Typical. What else can you expect from ?
Sounds to me like you are getting pretty desperate. :) . "

I noticed you carefully dodged the comparison to IBM and AT&T. The arguments you make for Microsoft closely pattern their Kool-Aid drinkers made for years.

Your continual references to "weaselly loony left crazies", "open source lunatics", " bunch of commies and anarchists", "evil propaganda", "biggest fraud and con on the net", "Strengthened means just that, straightened." indicates that you have little interest in discussion.

It's like having a debate with a Democrat - You and JFKerry can sit around and try to convince each other that you both won your respective "debates."

State your assertions, prove that they are valid, then state your conlusion. If you can't do that, you are just a MS-Troll XP (extra pretentious).

BTW the "open source prophets" you so revile have an extensive track record. You should extract your head from your anal orrifice and look around.For example, you said,: "Bottom line: firefox is NOT TCP/IP"

But it is an example of an open-source application, that implements an open-source standard (HTML, et al), that is part of an open-source protocol suite.

"Unix" follows a similar pattern, with various vendors producing their own proprietary implementations over time. Beginning in 1983, the development of various "extensions" to the "TCP/IP suite" have been presumed (first and foremost) that "*nix" was the underlying operating system. All implementations appeared on *nix first, even if later Microsoft implementations were created.

Unix History

History has "proved" that proprietary architectures (e.g.operating systems) eventually die. We live in an Open Standards world.

Deal with it.

[myvoice]

Nausea subsiding....thanks.


Can't have faith without hope first.

[JoJo Gunn]

Okay, concerning where I went wrong in post #100, I was tired and getting cross-eyed.

A popup is for all practical purposes a web page unto itself. They set them up so they don’t have address bars showing the source of the popup, for obvious reasons. You can right click on the image showing in the popup window and find properties of the image you see, such as one I found a few minutes ago on ABC’s site. It’s address was:

“site.images.metareward.com”

The trick I’ve detailed doesn’t block images in a web page. For instance, some Freeper posts an image on a thread you don’t like, you can’t place the source address in the Restricted box. (You can block images with Mozilla suite or Firefox, but that’s another story). With IE, you have to block the whole popup, the whole “web page”, so you have to find it’s source, it’s URL link. Most of the time it’ll be found in the History list, which you can get to show on the left side of the window.

The “site.images.metareward.com” ad had a name in the title bar that said “Exclusive Rewards”. Well, that in itself didn’t show up in the History list. But what was there was a number, “205.180.85.40” . I left clicked on it and what dropped down was “Exclusive Rewards”, so we now know we have the source to enter in the block box, which you do with the wildcard and period:

*.205.180.85.40

(What I was confused about in post 100 was how an ad image might be “ad.linksynergy.com”, but the popup window it’s in might be “click.linksynergy.com”. The address was so similar I missed it)

Sleuthing such as this might even be fun to some. You’ll learn to think a little like the scummos who try and force the garbage on us, and will have a better grasp of how Spyware Blaster and the like does it’s job.

[KoRn]

Hehe I have used that for practical joking purposes on other people's PC's. Almost no one knows about it, and I block their fav websites. LOL I did it in my IT department once on the Director's computer, she had the net admin. working on it for over 2 hours.

I secretly fixed the file remotely, because they were waaay pissed lol.

[KwasiOwusu]

"You said "hundreds", and list (5) to "prove" your point. Assertions are not proofs."

I don't have to list hundreds of operating systems.
According to you, there were just dr-dos and ms-dos. All I had to do was list a few operating systems from that period, from just 2 countries, the US and Britain to prove that you were wrong. :)
BTW, go read a book called "Hard Drive" about the development of the PC industry. They'll tell how how many different operating systems there were around that period, with every PC manufacturer selling their own incompatible opeartig systems on their PC's, effectively making them different operating systems..and there were hundreds of PC makers at that time, nearly all of them out of busness today

"Any evidence that I didn't? I owned several of them, and am very familiar with the rest."

You own nothing, dude, and no evidence that that you have.

"They fact that I found it is my evidence. (Hint: Google) Your ignorance speaks for itself . The fact that your writing style and phraselogy is so similar reinforces the likelihood that it wasn't on of the other 499,999. I noticed you didn't deny that it was you. Nice try, but it didn't work "

# 1, Its like someone who reads the first page of a C++ programing book, then thinks he is a C++ programmer.
You did a stupid search on google, and in your haste to save your faltering defenses, you never bothered to dig deeper into what appeared to be evidence that you had "uncovered".
Or like the BBC's recent "interview" with someone from Dow Chemical which rurned out to be hoax.
They were too eager to trash an American company, they never even bothered tp pjon Dow to check if the guy actually worked for them
Turned out he didn't.
Same with you.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2002110180_dowed06.html

I repeat what I said before, there are hundreds of thousands of Kwasi Owusu's out there.
Its up to you to prove that its me.
Isn't this fun? :)


# 2, Nothing on that link had anything to do with the point we are arguing about here.
It neither helped your case, nor got you out of the corner you had gotten yourself into.
Instead it proved that you are the most lezy of the DUmmies, whose first resort on being beaten, is to attempt to throw bombs.
Why not argue your point (if you can that is), instead of attempting to resort to sleaze?
A tactic that has backfired heavily on you.

"You said: "Until Microsoft paid out that huge dividend on Dec 2 (I got a very nice check for $6000) ."

Your bias speaks for itself, and further reinforces the speculation that you are a MS-Droid "

Most Americans own stock in Microsoft, either directly or through 401 K's.
So unless you are prepared to call most Americans biased, you don't have a point.
Owning stock is as American as apple pie, and we as Conservatives are 100% for it.
Only an open source lunatic is going to whine when working Americans own stock in one of the most successful American companies in history of this country.
And yeah, I am enjoying my $6000 special dividend paid on Dec 2, very very much, and me and my family, as well as millions of American families, are going to haveavery happy Christmas thanks to Microsoft. :)



"I noticed you carefully dodged the comparison to IBM and AT&T"

Dodge?
How can anyone even attempt to dodge your weak, pathetic ineffectual excuses for arguments on AT&T.
I ignored it because it was brain dead.
There is no way you can compare AT&T with Microsoft.
They are not even close.
Its not even like comparing apples and oranges, its like comparing apples and a tiger.
Repeat, nothing could be more different than AT&T from Microsoft, starting with the fact that AT&T was a goverment created monopoly, and Microsoft was created by two crappy youg men, who fought from nothing t make Microsoft what it is today.
Plus anyone can start a software company with very little capital.
Try doing that with a phone company. And it goes on and on.

"It's like having a debate with a Democrat - You and JFKerry can sit around and try to convince each other that you both won your respective "debates."

You are right about this being like debating witha RAT, with you being the RAT.
You are like any normal old commie open source psychopath, anti-free enterprise, anti-profits, anti-entreprenruship, in sum anti anything that makes this country great.
You and Hanoi John Kerry make such a fine pair together.

"But it is an example of an open-source application, that implements an open-source standard (HTML, et al), that is part of an open-source protocol suite."

So what?
Firefox is still not TCP/IP and TCP/IP was never developed by open source crazies.

"But it is an example of an open-source application, that implements an open-source standard (HTML, et al), that is part of an open-source protocol suite."

Unix was develped by 2 scientists at AT&T labs. It's creation had nothing to do with open source until Linus Torvalds came and stole Unix ideas to create a bad copy called Linux, which in turn had IBM and other open source thieves massively copy Unix code into Linux in order to make it better.
However I'll let the courts ecide that.


"You should extract your head from your anal orrifice and look around"

I can't, since I am not there. However, I suggest you do the following:
Remove your face from Linus Torvalds and Eric Raymond's anal orifices( if you can that is), and start smelling n normal fresh air again
All those noxious nasty Euro gases have screwed up your head but good!
You have not made on iota of sense since you started posting on this thread.

BTW, sorry about the long delay in replying t your nonsense.
It was a busy day at work.

[KwasiOwusu]

"IE is Dead Browser Walking.
Within a year or so, maybe less, IE will be the AOL of the browser world - only the clueless or rank newbies will still be using IE because it came with their computer. Everyone else will be either assisting them to switch to something useful like Firefox, or will just be laughing at them. "

LMAO!!
Sounds similar to what Marc Andreeson said about putting Microsoft tout of busniess with his broweser, back in 1995.
Today, Microsoft is making to the tune of over $10 Billion per quarter in sales, and profits running at $3 Billon per quarter, both over THREE times what Microsoft was making in 1995, and Marc Andreeson's was the one whose business came close to collapse.
Plus Microsoft now has vast reserves of cash.

I have been hearing empty boasts about Microsoft's coming demise, from open source crazies, with too much vodka in their bellies, for at least 8 years.
In real life, Microsoft has simply grown from strength to strength.
I think you clown had better go find some real work to do,

[Capt. Tom]

I have Ad-Aware SE Pro

I ran it and cleaned out all the spywares,

Then I went to Free Republic and hit a few of the threads.
I ran Ad- Aware again and there was no spyware .

I went to Drudge.
I ran Ad- Aware again, and picked up 3 tracking cookies from Drudge

fastclick.net
mediaplex.com
tribalfusion.com

[mplsconservative]

I'm a Mac person, always have been, but am a dork when it comes to virus detectors.

Guess I've never felt the need.

What do you use to check for the bad stuff?

I'm also wondering why people are Mac-adverse.

I honestly don't know why.

Due to my hubby's creative director job, it's all I've ever known as far as home computers. We get great deals at a discount when 'puters are outdated at his work.

In my former life as a TV producer it was all I ever knew either.

Now I'm a stay-at-home mom and still love my Mac!