Advertising referring to malware websites

fixit7 · May 8, 2020

Hello long time lurker long time reader. I typically use Safari without adblockers on websites I would like to support. I went to navigate the website originally to lookup a repair I am working on. The very first thread I clicked on sent me to a website with a bogus download for flash which is loaded with malware. I also tried to click on the register link and it sent me to another page with malware. I can confirm my device has no issues as I work in IT and this is a machine with a clean install and not one download/install. I will attach pictures. I ended up having to use Brave browser which incorporates strict adblocking along with adblock extensions because the malware links are too much.

Edited May 8, 2020 by fixit7

fixit7 · May 8, 2020

This type of "advertising" will certainly detract new visitors if they are aware or infect them with malware.

tbarn · May 8, 2020

This site has become an ad nightmare. Worse on my phone. Must be making some good bucks off all the ads.

dtnel78 · May 8, 2020

I don't have any issues (knock on wood) with the tapatalk pro app I use for all my forums on the internet.

I'd definitely make the mods aware of this so maybe they can do something about this. They probably need to install a CAPTCHA so it knows a real person is posting and also put a notice in the top of their web page explaining that if there's not a captcha that they need to not click certain things.

Those who are running this site should be making it safe. Don't spend a ton of time on here but it would make me spend less time.

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

davester · May 8, 2020

The problem isn't posts with spam or malware, it's with the ads. Adding a captcha does nothing to help.

It's that malware pays a fraction of a penny more than legit ads, and I'm sure it's worse right now, with legit advertising way down, making that much cheaper for malware to get pushed.

Edited May 8, 2020 by davester

fixit7 · May 8, 2020

1 hour ago, davester said:

The problem isn't posts with spam or malware, it's with the ads. Adding a captcha doesn't nothing to help.

It's that the malware pays a fraction of a penny more than legit ads, and I'm sure it's worse right now, with legit advertising way down, making that much cheaper for malware to get pushed.

You nailed it. The referral bonus for malware is that much more. I would like to assume the Admins of the site are naive to it.

fixit7 · May 8, 2020

I did dm multiple mods but I know they can only do so much. This is an admin/site owner problem they signed up for either unwittingly or complacently

dtnel78 · May 8, 2020

The problem isn't posts with spam or malware, it's with the ads. Adding a captcha does nothing to help.

It's that malware pays a fraction of a penny more than legit ads, and I'm sure it's worse right now, with legit advertising way down, making that much cheaper for malware to get pushed.

Tapatalk Pro . I don't have any ads whatsoever no matter the site I go to. Just a one time fee. I also pay the monthly fee using my son's college email addy for YouTube. No commercials there as well.

For the $5 a month with YouTube Premium it's worth it as I also get YouTube music with it and download all my music there rather than also paying for iTunes as well.

Though now I think of it a little more I get the iTunes music free with my Verizon plan which I just recalled but when I started with Verizon years ago I used my newer email address and with iTunes I have a older email address which since Verizon never put the older one in I don't get access to all my owned music 180+ gb on my Android phone thru iTunes.

There's other ways around that but as you get older I've found I listen to music less that when the early Napster days were around hence the reason for such a large music collection.

When they, the RIAA / Napster dropped the hammer and said stop I took what I had and walked out the door quietly. Business models, software, interfaces, tracking all changed to quickly to keep up with as I was trucking so I just started buying iTunes after all of that.

Those who kept trying to circumvent the system with free music got their butts handed to them by the RIAA.

Sorry about the getting off topic. Got a little sidetracked.[emoji16]

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

Grumpy Bear · May 8, 2020

It's so bad on my browser that I'm on this site a few minutes then it automatically takes me off site to the garbage adds. I have to shut down and restart to get 3 to 5 minutes more browse time here now. Hard to even post this.....

Silverado4x4 · May 8, 2020

I started a thread on this yesterday as Norton shows as a high level attack. A admin needs to get involved as you can only stay on here for a few minute before it kicks you off.

Zane · May 8, 2020

Hi everyone, we just became aware of this thread. We take these issues seriously as this website is our pride and joy... and would never serve shady ads on purpose. We recently switched to a new ad serving company and we're working out the issues. We're bringing this to their attention and hope to have the ad bugs worked out asap. Our apologies.

Silverado4x4 · May 8, 2020

17 minutes ago, Zane said:

Hi everyone, we just became aware of this thread. We take these issues seriously as this website is our pride and joy... and would never serve shady ads on purpose. We recently switched to a new ad serving company and we're working out the issues. We're bringing this to their attention and hope to have the ad bugs worked out asap. Our apologies.

Ok sounds good as I got half way through reading your reply and got knocked out lasted maybe 1 minute then I was out. It doesn't mess around either as if you go up and right click on the back arrow on windows 10 Edge there might be 10-20 ads that popped up there.

Zane · May 8, 2020

6 minutes ago, Silverado4x4 said:

Ok sounds good as I got half way through reading your reply and got knocked out lasted maybe 1 minute then I was out. It doesn't mess around either as if you go up and right click on the back arrow on windows 10 Edge there might be 10-20 ads that popped up there.

Thanks for letting me know. Not good, not cool. Not what we want.

garagerog · May 8, 2020

I'm an old buzzard and IT ignoramus accessing this site with an old desktop with Windows 7, yes 7, with Norton security and their ad blocker. I've had 0 issues and I get 0 ads, maybe in some things older is better.

Grumpy Bear · May 8, 2020

1 hour ago, Zane said:

Hi everyone, we just became aware of this thread. We take these issues seriously as this website is our pride and joy... and would never serve shady ads on purpose. We recently switched to a new ad serving company and we're working out the issues. We're bringing this to their attention and hope to have the ad bugs worked out asap. Our apologies.

Thank you Zane. :thumbs: