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Geek Culture / Google Ads Danger

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Zumwalt
17
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Joined: 1st Feb 2007
Location: Tampa, FL
Posted: 28th Feb 2008 03:09
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Since Google Ads was added to the forums, I have blocked over 2 dozen SPY BOTS when visiting different forums. The latest was perso.wanadoo.es

I think you need to put up a warning on your main page letting ALL users know that you are allowing the propagation of spy bots through the use of google ads in your threads. Luckly for me I own Zone Alarm so it nukes them as they hit my machine.

I do not frequent many forums, this being one of the ones I use the most, and Ironically it is the only one with google ads and has all the SPY BOTS coming from it.

Just wanted to give you a heads up.
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Osiris
20
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Joined: 6th Aug 2004
Location: Robbinsdale, MN
Posted: 28th Feb 2008 03:58
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I don't have any...

RIP Max-Tuesday, November 2 2007
You will be dearly missed.
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Michael S
18
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Joined: 2nd Apr 2006
Location: Why do you ask?
Posted: 28th Feb 2008 04:40
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Yea, um I have had no trouble *Knock on wood*


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Jeku
Moderator
21
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Joined: 4th Jul 2003
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posted: 28th Feb 2008 05:55
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those ads just images? Pretty hard to stick spyware inside of an image file. I know technically it can be done through an exploit but I highly, highly doubt it as you're the first one to say such a thing. My guess is your computer is already infested.


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Sid Sinister
19
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Joined: 10th Jul 2005
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Posted: 28th Feb 2008 06:01
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must be the pr0n.




"If I have seen a little further it's by standing on the shoulders of Giants"-Newton
-Computer Animation Major-
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tha_rami
18
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Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 28th Feb 2008 07:41
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Never been hit with such a thing and been using Google Ads for what, five years? My guess its something else.


A mod has been erased by your signature because it was larger than 600x120
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Benjamin
21
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Joined: 24th Nov 2002
Location: France
Posted: 28th Feb 2008 07:46
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Quote: "Since Google Ads was added to the forums, I have blocked over 2 dozen SPY BOTS when visiting different forums. The latest was perso.wanadoo.es"

Spy bots are named after websites now?

Multisync - TCP Server/Client Multiplayer Plugin (DBP/DBCe)
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Nicholas Thompson
20
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Joined: 6th Sep 2004
Location: Bognor Regis, UK
Posted: 28th Feb 2008 08:57
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Google Adsense will never put 'spyware' on your PC... It MIGHT put a cookie on your machine if the ads are CPA (Cost Per Action) rather than CPC (Cost Per Click). The CPA Ads are ones where you click on something and the advertiser doesn't get a penny until you DO something (eg, buy the TV, Register as a subscriber, etc). This means the payouts are less frequent but MUCH higher in value (I've seen sites offering $30 per action). For the CPA action to work, Google uses a cookie on your machine to see if you do the action within 30 days of clicking.

At the end of the day, its not a big brother thing - its Google trying to find a fair way of paying its advertisers.

Alternatively, it could be that you're using an insecure browser and you are visiting sites which exploit it...

[center]
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JerBil
20
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Joined: 8th May 2004
Location: Somewhere along the Z axis...
Posted: 28th Feb 2008 20:40
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As Nicholas suggests, the problem is more with your anti-spyware reporting than actual spyware.

Ad Astra Per Asper
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Seppuku Arts
Moderator
20
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Joined: 18th Aug 2004
Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 28th Feb 2008 20:54
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Could Zone Alarm be mistaking the cookies as spyware?

Exit Pursued by man-bear-pig
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Nicholas Thompson
20
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Joined: 6th Sep 2004
Location: Bognor Regis, UK
Posted: 29th Feb 2008 11:29
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Most anti-spyware apps look at cookies which track your visiting habits as spyware. Very VERY rarely is this true - there is often a legitimate reason for tracking when you last visited a website...

I also think its rather funny when these people who are so anal about securing their PC by deleting cookies and getting scared when they find someone is tracking them... and then you see them still using IE6, typing in their bank PIN number without shielding it and throwing their bank statements away in the normal trash without shredding. I just think its quite funny..

[center]
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Zumwalt
17
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Joined: 1st Feb 2007
Location: Tampa, FL
Posted: 1st Mar 2008 15:45
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I know I don't have any spyware on my machine or viruses. I don't frequent any sites that would have such things intentionally. As far as Google-Ads is concerned, it is more than just images, it is script behind the images (thus they place cookies and other junk in your browser cache from the advertisement site) NOT all ads here from google have popped up the warnings from Zone Alarm, but some have. As far as my browser, it is IE7, my machine is fully patched up and what not.

People pay to have there ads in the google list of ads and those ads have script data attached to them which could potentially be dangerous. It is just a simple warning to folks letting them know that GDK is not responsible for the content or the links from google ads, and that those links could potentially lead to locations that contain viruses.

More of a disclaimer and a service announcement than anything.
I have both McAfee anti-virus and Zone Alarm running side by side, I just don't trust what people put on there websites.
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Insert Name Here
17
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Joined: 20th Mar 2007
Location: Worcester, England
Posted: 1st Mar 2008 15:54
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Quote: "I don't frequent any sites that would have such things intentionally."

Can you be 100% sure of that?

Google checks all of their adverts many times under many different circumstances before letting them loose on the public.

Lee Bamber - Blame Beer
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bitJericho
22
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Joined: 9th Oct 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 1st Mar 2008 16:11 Edited at: 1st Mar 2008 16:11
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I don't believe google ads allows advertisers to place a script in their ads. It's strictly an image, and a link to where that image goes.

See the attached image.

Any "virus" you're seeing is probably the google tracking cookie, which is perfectly harmless to your computer. it may allow for google to track what sites you go, but you can simply delete it or disallow it if you're worried about google knowing where you go. (As if they don't know already from the searches you make )


Hurray for teh logd!

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the_winch
21
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Joined: 1st Feb 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posted: 1st Mar 2008 17:22
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https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5207

By way of demonstration, he emitted a batlike squeak that was indeed bothersome.
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