Forums General Discussion AdWare?

Since installing mIRC, I've been getting a pop up every now and again...

http://pop.mircx.com/pop/search/pop/108946616864995

which quickly redirects to advertise some anti-adware program.

Just wondering if this is could be caused by a modified installation file of mIRC, from the mirror I got it from? I think it was one of the UK ones.. What's the md5 of the official installation file, so I can check this?

mIRC seems to be the only thing I installed recently

AdAware can't seem to find it at the moment..

MD5 (mirc614.exe) = 3a843e325d5db9c924ae4e7b03a7886a
MD5 (mirc615.exe) = 3b1252be49dff76549dc9766e1fe7fcd
MD5 (mirc616.exe) = 875a57102ad6bec1ed9bb6861b016c74

You have been infected with spyware from a website most likely. A recent flaw in Internet Explorer and Netscape allows a website to execute and install programs on your computer without permission. Unfortunatly microsoft has not released a patch for this, and from the looks of it, doesn't plan to either. Your only solution as it seems is ifyou have Windows XP to download the Service Pack 2 beta, or to use an alternate browser. Should you chose the latter, browsers such as Mozilla and Firefox (to name just a couple) are uneffect by the latest security flaw.

Additionally, run a program such as Lavasoft's AdAware or SpyBot Search & Destroy to rid your self of these infections.

It also might be a good idea to run a virus scan with the recent definitions. If you don't have one, may I suggest TrendMicro's Free virus scan.

Good luck with the disinfection process, it should be simple. Most are only intented to change your homepage and default search engine, not do any real harm.

:P he said adware cant seem to find it

That is why I gave alternates s well as the suggestion to update the latest definitions files. Thought some know enough to update the program, some do not. No insult intended, jsut a recommendation and make awareness to those that don't know about the update feature.

i wasnt insulting you i was making a statement :tongue:

Heheh, yea thanks, I have AdAware with the latest updates (check every time i run it, daily) and downloaded spybot s&d yesterday too.. no luck

Surely IE still integrated into windows, it'd load this pop up still, evern if i used another browser? I plan to re-download FireFox, I got it before.. though I prefer to use IE, since sites are coded for it, unfortunately, and FireFox doesn't load everything right [not their fault at all, heheh, microsoft and their anti-standards! ]

I've submitted a note to Lavasoft on their submissions page, hoepfully they'll have a fisd for it soon Previosuly I had some AdWare they took a couple weeks to release an update that removed it

Got all the windows updates, and such... SP2 beat is out? cool..

Beta though, I don't like the sound of installing an update to windows that's beta, heheh ;-)

I'll take a peek, ty

I couldn't get lavasoft's program to install; it gives me invalid page fault. I also can't get lavasoft support to answer my e-mail. Is this due to using windows 95a? It says it runs on windows 95, and not having problems with any other programs. Does anyone know how I can get an older version of it?

I tried spybot search and destroy - it purported to eliminate all but three adware references it found - and then refused to ever run again. It continually hangs up partway through and says the user terminated it. Any ideas?

Can anyone please point me to good adware removal programs that actually install, and work. I have tried several "trials" but they always tell me what adware I have - including tweinty to thirty things spybot allegedly already removed - and then tell me I have to pay $20 to $40 to finish the process.

If not, can anyone please point me to any good mailing lists on this topic.

Thanks!

Yours,
Dora Smith