# You are distributing malware **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 15, 2017, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205 "2017-01-15T03:42:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/1 "2017-01-15T03:42:29Z")
Once again your ad service is trrying to infect my equipment with a virus. Are you really this hard up for cash? Slee ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/2 "2017-01-15T05:37:19Z")
Can you elaborate and I will forward the info. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/3 "2017-01-15T06:09:27Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > Can you elaborate and I will forward the info. There’s another thread about this. Something redirects to a phony virus warning that tries to get us to download malware. There’s no way for us to to pinpoint what caused it because it redirects and won’t let us go back without killing the tab. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/4 "2017-01-15T08:44:57Z")
THE Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/5 "2017-01-15T09:50:58Z")
A fun side-effect of using Tapatalk is the inability to edit posts. ☹ The good: no ads Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/6 "2017-01-15T20:35:43Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > Can you elaborate and I will forward the info. Considering there’s been complaint for a loooooooong time will anything actually be done about it this time? ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/7 "2017-01-15T23:50:35Z")
Something which may or may not help: I no longer go to the SD main page - I just pull up forums.main directly. If you are getting hit on the home page, this may be a work-around. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/8 "2017-01-15T23:52:15Z")
The ad guys are aware of the issue and are looking into it. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/9 "2017-01-16T00:00:39Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > A fun side-effect of using Tapatalk is the inability to edit posts. ☹ > > The good: no ads > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk As an aside, I edit my posts using Tapatalk. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/10 "2017-01-16T00:23:20Z")
It just occurred to me there is someplace else I see the same thing: On some links posted on Facebook that turn out to go to spammy clickbait sites or questionable "news’ sites. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/11 "2017-01-16T01:02:20Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Considering there’s been complaint for a loooooooong time will anything actually be done about it this time? I endeavor to serve. As ECG mentioned, the ad guys are looking at it. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/12 "2017-01-16T03:24:12Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > There’s another thread about this. Something redirects to a phony virus warning that tries to get us to download malware. There’s no way for us to to pinpoint what caused it because it redirects and won’t let us go back without killing the tab. Nevertheless, if you wanted to be really useful, you could take a screen shot and send it to a mod. ---
**Author:** ![XRaeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/f14d63/32.png) [@XRaeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XRaeth)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/13 "2017-01-16T03:38:48Z")
> **[Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – World Health Organization](https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019)** > > Information on COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. IDK if it will help but this is the url that pops up when my browser tries to open the intrusive ads ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/14 "2017-01-16T04:37:44Z")
> [@XRaeth](#): > > IDK if it will help but this is the url that pops up when my browser tries to open the intrusive ads Eh, that’s just a pop up ad. Annoying, but it doesn’t seem malicious. There following link is to an album with 4 screenshots: The first is one of my history that shows the URL of the redirect page, and scroll down for three screenshots of the actual redirects. [[Album] SDMB hijack malware ![](https://i.imgur.com/B33UKJr.png?fb "SDMB hijack malware") ](https://imgur.com/a/yuJue) ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/15 "2017-01-16T04:47:05Z")
Also, that is the issue that I’m having. **Slee** may be referring to something else. ---
**Author:** ![mind\_the\_gap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@mind\_the\_gap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mind_the_gap)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/17 "2017-01-16T14:56:13Z")
Yep, that’s the same shit I’ve been getting. I love this site, but am visiting less and less because of this issue. Don’t know if you guys can fix this, but it’s getting annoying. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/18 "2017-01-16T18:33:07Z")
The way to fix this would be to stop using that kind of ad. Ed promised me/us years ago they would never run that sort of ad here. “fixing” it after that fact by removing one ad, just to have that ad replaced by more malware is not fixing anything. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/19 "2017-01-16T19:37:26Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > I endeavor to serve. As ECG mentioned, the ad guys are looking at it. Not trying to shoot the messenger, but we’ve been hearing this for what, two months now? > [@mind\_the\_gap](#): > > Yep, that’s the same shit I’ve been getting. I love this site, but am visiting less and less because of this issue. Don’t know if you guys can fix this, but it’s getting annoying. Me too, & we’re not the only ones (if you look at other, related threads in this forum). The post count (in my estimation) is way down from what it was; less new postings means others won’t tune in a frequently because there’s nothing new. Throw in a couple of bannings & a few deaths. Then because with the pop-unders, & hijackings (I had one on my phone the other day) noobies will think this place worse than a questionable porn site. Pretty soon there’s going to be no one left here; a lot of $ per eyeball for few eyeballs is _not_ the way to maximize revenue. Simple math guys. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/20 "2017-01-16T21:34:37Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Nevertheless, if you wanted to be really useful, you could take a screen shot and send it to a mod. I assumed you’ve logged out and then visited the site risking viruses, redirects, malware, etc, just to take a picture for the people in the ad department, so you can be “really useful” like you’re telling others to do, right? Because it would be the height of hypocrisy not to have done so. Since you’re such a fine, upstanding member of the SDMB and all. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205/21 "2017-01-16T21:48:41Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Not trying to shoot the messenger, but we’ve been hearing this for what, two months now? It’s been a lot longer than that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-distributing-malware/777205.md?page=2)