Google Image Search Spyware epidemic

Goosemaster

Lifer
Apr 10, 2001
48,775
3
81
Anyone else get hounded by this crap lately?

I'll be browsing for an icon etc and an innocent right click on any of the first 20 results leads to a spam result that attempts to run malicious software.

Annoying as hell.
 

Newbian

Lifer
Aug 24, 2008
24,779
882
126
Wait, right clicking one of the images gives you that spam?

You sure you don't have some kind of virus?
 

Goosemaster

Lifer
Apr 10, 2001
48,775
3
81
Don't install it...?

It's not that simple. In Chrome for example, you sometimes have to kill the process to close the window.

One got a trojan past chrome the other day no matter what I did (AV caught it) which really got on my nerves.
 

Goosemaster

Lifer
Apr 10, 2001
48,775
3
81
Wait, right clicking one of the images gives you that spam?

You sure you don't have some kind of virus?

right-clicking is the same as requesting the image download from the site - in this case it gets to execute additional code in the background that is masked by the google preview pane. You basically have to inspect the code of each pic when you roll over it.

Specifically I was looking for generic crap like arrow and check icons.
 

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
136
It's not that simple. In Chrome for example, you sometimes have to kill the process to close the window.

One got a trojan past chrome the other day no matter what I did (AV caught it) which really got on my nerves.

Have yet to encounter this and I use GIS every day. Maybe you already something on your system...?

[edit]
Nm. Do you have any sample search terms?

heh heh...I know what to expect.
 

PottedMeat

Lifer
Apr 17, 2002
12,363
475
126
Use firefox and noscript add-on is where it's at usually. ;)

works 99% of the time for me. but yesterday a popup got past it that said some "Essential-Defender7" installation was 'done' or 'cancel'. looked like a fake MSE. it put a blank application in my start menu but nothing else and firefox said it needed a plugin to work correctly.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,082
136
Chrome automatically protects you from those links.
Though I do acknowledge its getting ridiculous how many of them are around.
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
14
61
Please upgrade to the most current version of Windows, enable Windows Update, and update your antivirus software to the latest version. Feel free to update this ticket once those tasks are completed.
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
I even came across one of those spyware sites while searching for aluminum extrusion images - that'd be industrial sector stuff.
 

Murloc

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2008
5,382
65
91
I've never seen anything like this, and I use image search often enough.
 

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
A browser exploit isn't always a network fail. If OP would say what search term / pic to click...I'd try to duplicate it and confirm.

Failure to screen out the bad stuff and allow it to be sent to the trusted subnet is bad. It's always a good ideal to use a whitelist for all scripts as a secondary precaution as well. Keeping the OS updated and using AV/AM software is hardly enough. Especially with the latter it just slows down the system entirely too much and wastes precious resources.
 

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
136
Failure to screen out the bad stuff and allow it to be sent to the trusted subnet is bad. It's always a good ideal to use a whitelist for all scripts as a secondary precaution as well.

If you work in content production, those techniques would probably make GIS useless and impact productivity.

Unrelated: "idea" and "ideal" are different words. (Sorry. Pet peeve.)
 

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
If you work in content production, those techniques would probably make GIS useless and impact productivity.

Unrelated: "idea" and "ideal" are different words. (Sorry. Pet peeve.)

That's actually a typo. It happens. ;)

Been behind such a screen for years. Does not impact productivity at all. Best thing is it completely kills the stuff that should never be on the web in the first place. Number one on that list is <drumroll> ....porn! :awe: