Site Browser Hijacks

[Arturo-B]

There is a browser hijack embedded in one of the ads on this site as far as I can tell. Virtually every time I browse this site my browser is being hijacked to the default-homepage-network site. This only happens on this site, so I am almost 100% certain it is one of the ads here, or some other malicious code.

I love this site greatly, but I'm starting to become afraid of browsing here because of this hijack. ; ;

This only started happening over the last 4-5 days.

[Macht]

Make sure you have a Spyware and Adware detection and removal program. Also make sure your Windows system is up-to- date. One of the more recent Updates Microsoft released was to prevent certain codes in Ads such as hijack codes.

[Arturo-B]

I do have adware, but it is not active protection and requires manual scans (which are now performed frequently after visiting this site) ; ; .

However, I don't think this site should be hosting ads that have hijacks, and wanted to be sure the administrators were aware. ^^

[Macht]

Problem is the Ads aren't theirs to control. Go to any website that has an Ad section like hit refresh a few times then scan, you'll see you'll have a few of those hijacks then.

I know Lycos since they usually display a bar with 4 or 5 Ads at once it's very terrible for getting those. I'd probably look into a different Adware/Spyware prevention program if you have to scan every time to find them.

The one my company and myself seem to go with is SpyBot. It provides a good defense against them and detects any adware or spyware that attempts to install itself while you are surfing the website as long as you activate that feature.

[Sadeira]

also, try using an alternative browser. ie is so heavily exploited that it makes browsing more of a pain and a chore which it shouldn't be. i'd recommend going with mozilla's firefox. it's a great little browser that will not fall prey to most of the problems that plague ie.

[Arturo-B]

Problem is the Ads aren't theirs to control. Go to any website that has an Ad section like hit refresh a few times then scan, you'll see you'll have a few of those hijacks then.

The ads are theirs to control. They work with an ad company, and have full rights as all sites do to demand the removal of ads that are malicious.

also, try using an alternative browser. ie is so heavily exploited that it makes browsing more of a pain and a chore which it shouldn't be. i'd recommend going with mozilla's firefox. it's a great little browser that will not fall prey to most of the problems that plague ie.

I'm not going to change my web browser at work just to view a forum. Sorry.

[Angler]

Ads on this site are designed to be non-intrusive and should not execute code that hijacks a user's browser. Should your Internet Explorer browser be acting odd while using this site, please run Windows Update to patch any vulnerabilities that are being exploited.

Ads on FFXIOnline.com are served by UGO Networks, a large network with demands on high quality. We are affiliated with UGO Networks for their advertising program. Should there be any ads that you find which you think should not appear on the network, contact UGO (http://www.ugo.net) and they will work with you to resolve your complaint.

Lastly, I strongly suggest using an alternate browser other than Internet Explorer to view any site; FFXIOnline.com is completely compatible with Mozilla, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Camino. Any of these browsers will give you a much more secure browsing experience over Internet Explorer. This is not just for FFXIOnline.com, but for many other sites on the Internet.

[bonovoxpsu]

yup, looks like you have some spyware. i don't see anyone else complaining nor do i have any problems.....

get spybot and do a scan, hit windows update, and download the latest virus defs and do a scan.


good luck.

[Arturo-B]

Originally posted by Angler
Ads on this site are designed to be non-intrusive and should not execute code that hijacks a user's browser. Should your Internet Explorer browser be acting odd while using this site, please run Windows Update to patch any vulnerabilities that are being exploited.

Ads on FFXIOnline.com are served by UGO Networks, a large network with demands on high quality. We are affiliated with UGO Networks for their advertising program. Should there be any ads that you find which you think should not appear on the network, contact UGO (http://www.ugo.net) and they will work with you to resolve your complaint.

Lastly, I strongly suggest using an alternate browser other than Internet Explorer to view any site; FFXIOnline.com is completely compatible with Mozilla, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Camino. Any of these browsers will give you a much more secure browsing experience over Internet Explorer. This is not just for FFXIOnline.com, but for many other sites on the Internet.

I certainly will contact UGO, though I must admit I'm confused and concerned that site administrators are not concerned with the issue and are happy to host ads that provide embedded hijacks. I enjoy this site greatly but I've honestly never been to a site that did not deal with these things when advised.

What about offering a premium content membership similar to allakazham? I'd be more than happy to pay to simply avoid this issue. Changing my browser is not an option unfortunately.

[Arturo-B]

Originally posted by bonovoxpsu
yup, looks like you have some spyware. i don't see anyone else complaining nor do i have any problems.....

It is easy enough to remove. The problem is it keeps installing when the ad in question queues up. As far as complaints, there have been at least 4-5 other posts and responders about this issue on this board here and in the FAQ section.

[Angler]

What about offering a premium content membership similar to allakazham? I'd be more than happy to pay to simply avoid this issue. Changing my browser is not an option unfortunately.

FFXIOnline.com will not be subscription-based anytime in the future but we may offer new features to users who decide to donate to the site as our way of saying "thanks." These features will be slipstreamed into the next version of FFXIOnline.com, which is due by the end of the summer. More details will be posted on the front page news when they become available.

[bonovoxpsu]

Originally posted by Arturo-B
It is easy enough to remove. The problem is it keeps installing when the ad in question queues up. As far as complaints, there have been at least 4-5 other posts and responders about this issue on this board here and in the FAQ section.

hmm. odd. i only see your posts...


hope you find your/the problem.

[_11of8]

The file name is hp2[1].html, detected as Exploit-MhtRedir.gen - Trojan. My McAfee 7.0 picks it up when I hit this site and nowhere else. I deleted it from my machine, and we'll see if it tries to pop up again. Try searching for the file on your comp and deleting it.

[Arturo-B]

Originally posted by bonovoxpsu
hmm. odd. i only see your posts...

There are 4 other people complaining about this same issue in this post.

http://www.ffxionline.com/forums/sho...threadid=44674

It is not just me.