Anandtech Invested with Malware

[casperslide2004]

I was browsing through the google mini article when my firefox decided to minimize itself to the bottom right corner, posting

"The page at edit: cleanator(dot)com says:"

link edited. don't post links to possible badware if you can avoid it.

AnandTech Moderator
mechBgon

NOTICE: If your computer has been running slower then normak, it may be stored with Bad cookies, Compromising or Temporary files

Cleanator can perfrom a quick and completely FREE scan of your system for compromising objects.

Download Cleanator Free now!

Upon closing the window, it brings up the page telling you that you have Bad cookies and compromising files. It then offers for you to download the .exe

I would consider myself a safe internet browser and have been able to keep spyware/malware out of my computer, and I was first to blame myself when this came up. Before I posted here I loaded up a different install of vista to check and make sure I received the same error. I'm not sure who to contact on this issue, I just want it resolved.


Moved from Off Topic
AnandTech Moderator

 

[Reel]

Originally posted by: casperslide2004
I'm not sure who to contact on this issue, I just want it resolved.

Posting it in off-topic was a good start.

 

[Dean]

If you think a few advertising cookies are going to ruin your computer, stay off the internet!

 

[911paramedic]

lmfao, are you for real?

You should download that unsolicited popup's program and run it, I'm sure it will work.

 

[Deeko]

methinks someone is advertising his website

 

[casperslide2004]

Originally posted by: Dean
If you think a few advertising cookies are going to ruin your computer, stay off the internet!

I hardly consider the offering of an executable file "advertising cookies"

 

[meltdown75]

Yes, it is Anandtech's problem and not your own little shit-infested PC.

 

[casperslide2004]

Before everyone goes and starts bashing me, why don't you read through the google mini article yourself and see if it happens to you. It's not supposed to be there, but it is.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by: casperslide2004

Originally posted by: Dean
If you think a few advertising cookies are going to ruin your computer, stay off the internet!

I hardly consider the offering of an executable file "advertising cookies"

Well you never got it from here. If it popped up from the systray you are already infected with something.

 

[casperslide2004]

Originally posted by: meltdown75
Yes, it is Anandtech's problem and not your own little shit-infested PC.

I checked this on two completely different installs of Vista, one is a fresh install from 2 days ago with hardly any internet surfing.

 

[mobobuff]

NYSE: MLWR ?

 

[meltdown75]

ew, Vista.

also, "hardly" any surfing does not eliminate the chances of picking up the e-herp.

 

[mobobuff]

He's not kidding. I checked the article and exactly what he described happened on the third page of the article. Firefox minimizes, a dialogue box appears in the lower right corner. When you click Cancel Firefox goes to the Cleanator website. Obnoxious.

 

[casperslide2004]

Thank you.

 

[her209]

Anandtech Invested with Malware

I think you mean Infested.

 

[casperslide2004]

And I believe you are correct.

 

[grohl]

You are pretty irritating in RL, aren't you?

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: casperslide2004
Before everyone goes and starts bashing me, why don't you read through the google mini article yourself and see if it happens to you. It's not supposed to be there, but it is.

It didn't and I read through both.

(Also posting from his new, just installed Windows and firefox hardrive)

Those were good articles though.

 

[lyssword]

I don't think that's true. I am on anandtech forums for 24/7 for past 6 months and had no virus/malware yet.

 

[casperslide2004]

I went to the article again, on yet another machine. This time XP Pro with firefox and received the same http:\\www.cleanator.com redirection.

 

[911paramedic]

I went through the entire article with, and without, script blocking on. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

If there was a malicious script I should have been alerted, and I went through the entire article many times. Again, nothing, nada, zip.

 

[Pepsi90919]

invested

 

[911paramedic]

Originally posted by: casperslide2004
I went to the article again, on yet another machine. This time XP Pro with firefox and received the same http:\\www.cleanator.com redirection.

Same network?

Some jerk-off at my sisters company decided that since the IT guy opened up the local machines to the internet that he would start browsing. When I went to my sisters place (she works from home via VPN) logged into the work server and got one of those "You're Infected" type of pop-ups.

Well, when she asked the guy if he was surfing any "sketchy" sites he said he only went to ESPN to check some scores the day before. The IT guy, on the other hand, obtained over 170 pages of (porn) sites he visited.

Busted, and infected the entire company mainframe.

P.S. Yes, there should have been precautions, but up until that time NOBODY was allowed internet access. Then, as my sister objected, they allowed 3 people internet access. The rest is browser cache history, lmao.

 

[mobobuff]

Happened again with Firefox, page 4 this time. Tried it with IE7. After loading the article, it showed signs of starting to redirect to another website, after which IE7's Phishing Filter kicked in and asked me if I wanted to turn on Phish Blocking, I clicked No and it immediately redirected fully to Cleanator.com which started a "scan of your system".

 

[casperslide2004]

I would also like to note that I don't get anything like this on any other webpage that I am viewing and I am on the internet constantly.

As far as credentials go, I am A+, Network+ and MCSE Certified and work on computers for a living.