Oi, about TV tropes safety

[Pokonic]

Is anyone having issues with Malware from going on them ? Just had to do a hard reboot a few days ago because I had a few Trojans, among others. Had had to go back because it let a Backdoor in, causing it chronic problems. While this might not be a tech forum, it has more than a few regular users of both on here, and I am wary of going on them currantly. Also, if the site was attacked in any way, I would have heard of it by now.:smalltongue:

[Knaight]

I've not had issues. That said, I use a modern browser, with up to date scriptblocker and ad block, on a Mac OS X system that has antivirus protection, so if there are issues I probably won't contract them.

[Psyren]

Norton 360 here so.... nope, sorry.

[Mordokai]

Nothing here and I've been browsing tvtropes for the past week nonstop on three different computers.

[Dr.Epic]

Is anyone having issues with Malware from going on them ? Just had to do a hard reboot a few days ago because I had a few Trojans, among others. Had had to go back because it let a Backdoor in, causing it chronic problems. While this might not be a tech forum, it has more than a few regular users of both on here, and I am wary of going on them currantly. Also, if the site was attacked in any way, I would have heard of it by now.:smalltongue:

Um, no. What's this about TV Tropes and viruses. I go on there all the time.:smalleek: You sure it wasn't the browser like other have suggested?

[Prime32]

How would viewing a webpage infect you with a trojan? :smallconfused: That's by definition a fake program you install yourself.

[Knight13]

I have been infected with a couple of rogues (fake antivirus programs that try to trick you into spending money to get the "full" version), but only while browsing from my work laptop, which has crappy security, and only twice over a period of several months. On my home box, which has Avast, I've been browsing tvtropes for years and never caught anything. Also, this malware seemed to be coming from the ad banners on the site, so I don't think it's tvtropes itself that is infected.

[Pokonic]

How would viewing a webpage infect you with a trojan? :smallconfused: That's by definition a fake program you install yourself.

Its a big site. From my understanding of it, its entirely probable that it got slipped under the radar. Advertising, perhapes?

[Dr.Epic]

Its a big site. From my understanding of it, its entirely probable that it got slipped under the radar. Advertising, perhapes?

:smallconfused::smalleek:

[icastflare!]

I have been on TVtropes all this week during my christmas break and I have caught nothing and my security system says the site is fine. Perhaps it is an issue with another site you are visiting?

[Eldariel]

It's plausible; advertisement is notorious for this (hence why AdBlock is even more important than it would be otherwise and why you should be running NoScript), there are lots of fake advertisements paid that have malicious code slipped into the advertisement. Of course the companies handling the advertisements are doing their best to weed those out but there are always some that slip under the radar.

However, it's got nothing to do with Tvtropes itself; e.g. DeviantArt has been known to have these issues too, and same goes for literally every page running ads. So yeah, just prepare appropriately and you'll be fine. With AdBlock and NoScript, you're under practically foolproof protection against all website-based attacks, even unknown ones.

[Dr.Epic]

I have been on TVtropes all this week during my christmas break and I have caught nothing and my security system says the site is fine. Perhaps it is an issue with another site you are visiting?

Yeah. I've gotten nothing as well. I'll scan my system later though just to be sure.

[Soras Teva Gee]

I go to Tvtropes almost as much as this site and EqD and I have had zero problems.

Presuming you have anti-virus and a firewall do you have an adblocker as well?

And what made you think it was Tvtropes in particular. Just because the site is so very basic like most wikis.

[Harr]

It's plausible; advertisement is notorious for this (hence why AdBlock is even more important than it would be otherwise and why you should be running NoScript), there are lots of fake advertisements paid that have malicious code slipped into the advertisement. Of course the companies handling the advertisements are doing their best to weed those out but there are always some that slip under the radar.


Even advertising-based attacks ultimately rely on your clicking Yes to the permission for the program to install itself on your browser or system. So he would at least remember clicking that dodgy "You're the 1,000,000th viewer click Yes here to collect your prize" dialog before he got his supposed Trojan(*).

It's almost impossible to actually get infected with anything by simply browsing a site if you're not actively downloading anything from it, not clicking Yes to install-this-software dialogs, and just not doing anything out of the ordinary like that. No matter how loaded with malware the site may be.

Also if such a thing *were* to happen to a site with as widespread viewership and with as much to lose if people stop visiting it as TVTropes has, you can be sure that the entire internet would know about it within a few minutes of it going live.

-

(*) I say 'supposed' because people use the word "Trojan" to mean "anything I don't like that is on my computer without me knowing about it". By definition, a Trojan is a type of virus that has no way of getting into your system unless you download it AND run it on your system yourself for whatever reason.

[Pokonic]

And what made you think it was Tvtropes in particular. Just because the site is so very basic like most wikis.

Went to the site after having it clean for a week, and the exact. Same. Bug popped up.

[The_Final_Stand]

Bug in what way?

Also stating that I've had no problems with malware or similar from TvTropes, or indeed any other website I've been to.

[Prime32]

Went to the site after having it clean for a week, and the exact. Same. Bug popped up.Uh... what bug was that? :smallconfused:

[Pokonic]

This unholy piece of work. (http://www.2-viruses.com/remove-privacy-protection)

[Soras Teva Gee]

This unholy piece of work. (http://www.2-viruses.com/remove-privacy-protection)

I had that once upon a time and given its perniciousness and difficulty to remove I'm more then a little tempted to say you just didn't get it all.

[Pokonic]

I had that once upon a time and given its perniciousness and difficulty to remove I'm more then a little tempted to say you just didn't get it all.

Why?:smallconfused: That bug is not exactly uncommon.

[Soras Teva Gee]

Why?:smallconfused: That bug is not exactly uncommon.

Because thus far nopony else has reported a problem with Tvtropes.

[Prime32]

Because thus far nopony else has reported a problem with Tvtropes....we humans have feelings too. :smallfrown:

[Pokonic]

Nevermind, looks like they have a page for this sort of stuff. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13223684920A10189100&page=1) going to simply post what I got and move along.


...we humans have feelings too.

Join the herd, ape, and you will not have to deal with such issues.:smalltongue:

[Soras Teva Gee]

...we humans have feelings too. :smallfrown:



Join the herd, ape, and you will not have to deal with such issues.:smalltongue:

Ponies are a man's soul. (http://img.ponibooru.org/_images/7920138af57b769241262a74bc271f58/35786%20-%20artist%3AZephrysdaemon%20crossover%20Gurren_Lag ann%20Kamina%20Lyra.png)

[Pokonic]

@Prime32

There are a few Ponytars up for grabs. Take one, and feel whole again.

[Prime32]

Join a different incredibly girly-looking fanbase? But if I stop paying Lord ZUN his weekly tribute of beer, he will smite me from the heavens with lightning! Or possibly beer. Actually, probably beer. That still hurts, you know. TOUHOU IS TEN TIMES THE SIZE OF MLP YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED

[Pokonic]

Join a different incredibly girly-looking fanbase? But if I stop paying Lord ZUN his weekly tribute of beer, he will smite me from the heavens with lightning! Or possibly beer. Actually, probably beer. That still hurts, you know. TOUHOU IS TEN TIMES THE SIZE OF MLP YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED

You must understand, this is thriving fandom. You will find a nich, I am sure.:smalltongue:

[Dr.Epic]

...we humans have feelings too. :smallfrown:

You HUMANS and your feeble EMOTIONS!!

[Psyren]

Every time I even think of giving that show a chance, one of you posts ridiculous terms like "nopony," "brohoof" or "brony" and I get repulsed all over again.

And on topic, if you have no other protection why not pick up AVG?

[Howler Dagger]

I got the Vista 2012 virus from TV. Tropes, so yeah, I wouldn't trust it completely.

[Pokonic]

You HUMANS and your feeble EMOTIONS!!

Indeed! Why have emotions when you can run on friendship and magic!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I got the Vista 2012 virus from TV. Tropes, so yeah, I wouldn't trust it completely.

The advertisments seem to be the things causing it, yeah.

[Newman]

Every time I even think of giving that show a chance, one of you posts ridiculous terms like "nopony," "brohoof" or "brony" and I get repulsed all over again.


DAT'S THE JOKE

Anyway, the choice is in your hooves.

Ohgod I just remembered about the Killing Joke... frightful plant, isn't it?

[Elrik]

My computer recently got curbstomped by Malware that I think I've finally been able to treat as of today. It showed up around the same time I saved a picture from TV Tropes two weeks ago.

Needless to say, I've visited that site, and Deviantart, on both of my laptops; and now I have the feeling that NOTHING IS SAFE!

[Helanna]

I got the Vista 2012 virus from TV. Tropes, so yeah, I wouldn't trust it completely.

Is THAT where I got it from? Damn! I was racking my brains, trying to figure out where on earth I went that could have given it to me! I didn't go anywhere unusual, but I might have gone to TV Tropes, and I had AdBlock turned off since their revenue is generated through ads. Not gonna turn it off again on TV Tropes, that's for sure.

Sure wish that AVG had caught it, though.

[Pokonic]

Indeed, nothing is sacred anymore!:smalleek:

[Marnath]

Even advertising-based attacks ultimately rely on your clicking Yes to the permission for the program to install itself on your browser or system. So he would at least remember clicking that dodgy "You're the 1,000,000th viewer click Yes here to collect your prize" dialog before he got his supposed Trojan(*).

It's almost impossible to actually get infected with anything by simply browsing a site if you're not actively downloading anything from it, not clicking Yes to install-this-software dialogs, and just not doing anything out of the ordinary like that. No matter how loaded with malware the site may be.


This is false, in my experience. I suffered no fewer than 7 really nasty malware programs last year just by visiting webpages with infected ads(deviantart being the main culprit here) which culminated in the total loss of my computer. I grabbed adblock plus on this compy, and have had no issues at all, not even the minor crap that AVG free version stops(almost nothing, lol.)

What is Noscript?

[Avilan the Grey]

Noscript is a plugin for firefox that blocks all java scripts unless you give the individual script permission to run. Pain in the ass, I never use it.

However, it is a good ide to INSTALL Noscript and turn OFF all that: it still makes firefox much safer, just by blocking certain other things in the background.

Also, I keep forgetting that other people see ads; I have adblock turned on in both Firefox and Chrome (and open it up for sites that deserve it, like this one).

Very very occasionally my security suite catches something, but I have had no major infection of anything since before the year 2000.

[Mystic Muse]

Ohgod I just remembered about the Killing Joke... frightful plant, isn't it?

Poison Joke is the name of the plant in the show.

Killing Joke only exists in an RP down in freeform. That is a frightful plant. :smalleek:

[Pokonic]

Killing Joke only exists in an RP down in freeform. That is a frightful plant. :smalleek:

He is talking about the mutated form from F:ED.

Much like the RP, it is frighting that any sane mind would create such a thing.

[Mystic Muse]

He is talking about the mutated form from F:ED.

Much like the RP, it is frighting that any sane mind would create such a thing.
No Idea what F:ED is, but I suspect it's called killing joke because things tend to end up dead there too.

[Pokonic]

No Idea what F:ED is, but I suspect it's called killing joke because things tend to end up dead there too.

It warps what you say into the most deadly thing probable. If you once said "I always wanted to swim in the ocean with the fish", than you might turn into a sea-pony. On dry land. Also, it might just straight-up kill you dead. "I always wanted to fly?" Might send part of you shooting straight up and the other into the ground. Worst part is, its intelegent and reads your mind. You know what happens to one flying non-pony when they touch the stuff? They get turned into a normal earth pony. Over a mine.

Then again, this is what to expect from the everfree after a few centurys of radiation.


Also, would like to get back on topic, please, before a mod locks the thread.

[turbo164]

This is false, in my experience. I suffered no fewer than 7 really nasty malware programs last year just by visiting webpages with infected ads(deviantart being the main culprit here) which culminated in the total loss of my computer. I grabbed adblock plus on this compy, and have had no issues at all, not even the minor crap that AVG free version stops(almost nothing, lol.)

What is Noscript?

This. Had CA Antivirus at the time, got infected, got it cleaned, switched to Vipre recommended from a friend, got infected again. Got new comp (old one was overdue anyway), haven't been to DA since :(

[jseah]

Why not run your internet browser inside a sandbox?

Eliminating everything inside the sandbox is trivial (select folder, delete) and no permanent changes to your computer are possible from inside it.

Of course, installing upgrades is a pain because you need to close the browser, end everything in the sandbox, upgrade then restart. Can't upgrade from inside the sandbox...

[thubby]

aaand this is why adblock is important.

[legomaster00156]

I have not been infected with anything by viewing TV Tropes. I'm not saying it's safe, but I am saying that as far as I'm aware, it's virus-free. :smalltongue:

[Caesar]

How would viewing a webpage infect you with a trojan? :smallconfused: That's by definition a fake program you install yourself.

There are a slew of exploits involving activex which will automatically download and install malware in secret, simply from visiting an infected webpage. You dont have to click any links or ads, and you most certainly dont get a warning message from your computer about the installation.

Of course, if you have your browser set up correctly, this isnt such a big problem. Unfortunately, most people have no idea how their computer works, and are probably running Internet Explorer on top of it all.

[nyarlathotep]

Silly me thinking that Killing Joke was a reference to batman. I then wanted to correct him and say that line was from B:tAS, and then it turns out to be from an obscure part of the pony fandom.

[Zale]

Glad to see I'm not the only one this has happened to.

I got the Google Redirect Virus whilst browsing TV Tropes.

I'm so using this "Noscript" thing now. :smallbiggrin:

[The Bushranger]

How would viewing a webpage infect you with a trojan? :smallconfused: That's by definition a fake program you install yourself.


Even advertising-based attacks ultimately rely on your clicking Yes to the permission for the program to install itself on your browser or system. So he would at least remember clicking that dodgy "You're the 1,000,000th viewer click Yes here to collect your prize" dialog before he got his supposed Trojan(*).

It's almost impossible to actually get infected with anything by simply browsing a site if you're not actively downloading anything from it, not clicking Yes to install-this-software dialogs, and just not doing anything out of the ordinary like that. No matter how loaded with malware the site may be.

Er, nope. If your browser/Java/whatever executes the code/script in the ad, which it has to do in order to display the ad, then you've caught it. I should know - my old computer, I had to clean the fake antivirus off of it four entirely different times, and the Vista Defender thing another time, none of which involved any ad-clicking or "Yes" clicking - and in most, if not all, cases, the only ads I'd been near anytime recently had been Google Ads. :smalleek:

...Noscript+Flashblock+AdblockPlus for me now, on my new computer, and not a single so much as a peep, ever...



Sure wish that AVG had caught it, though.
AVG is, quite frankly, trash nowadays - it's gone down the tubes to the point where it acts like malware in some ways (one reason we discarded the old computer: we couldn't get AVG off of it, and it wouldn't allow anything to be downloaded from the Internet...). Even though it comes from the Evil Empire, the current best (according to everyone) antivirus software is Microsoft Security Essentials. Combine with MalwareBytes AntiMalware for best effect; combine with NS/AB and never worry about a virus again!

[Avilan the Grey]

AVG is, quite frankly, trash nowadays - it's gone down the tubes to the point where it acts like malware in some ways (one reason we discarded the old computer: we couldn't get AVG off of it, and it wouldn't allow anything to be downloaded from the Internet...)

Yes, things like this goes back and forth. For years I refused to have anything to do with Norton, but now Norton is truly one of the best products on the market.

Kapersky is still very good but very buggy: at least 20% of people buying it has to return it since it for some reason refuses to work on their machines.

AVG has truly gone over the deep end and is basically a virus these days as you describe. I know of several people who gave up and re-installed Windows to get rid of it.

(Personally I am using Comodo Internet Security).

[Helanna]

AVG is, quite frankly, trash nowadays - it's gone down the tubes to the point where it acts like malware in some ways (one reason we discarded the old computer: we couldn't get AVG off of it, and it wouldn't allow anything to be downloaded from the Internet...). Even though it comes from the Evil Empire, the current best (according to everyone) antivirus software is Microsoft Security Essentials. Combine with MalwareBytes AntiMalware for best effect; combine with NS/AB and never worry about a virus again!



AVG has truly gone over the deep end and is basically a virus these days as you describe. I know of several people who gave up and re-installed Windows to get rid of it.


Ah, I was afraid of that. That's what I get for complacency - I haven't had to deal with a virus in years (and AVG hasn't given me any problems), so I wasn't really up to date on antiviruses. I guess I'll check out Microsoft Security Essentials then, thanks.

[Avilan the Grey]

Ah, I was afraid of that. That's what I get for complacency - I haven't had to deal with a virus in years (and AVG hasn't given me any problems), so I wasn't really up to date on antiviruses. I guess I'll check out Microsoft Security Essentials then, thanks.

When I bought Kapersky 6 months ago I read a lot of tests and reviews. What i could make out 6 months ago it was basically this:

Best overall:
Norton and Kapersky, no real difference in the tests.

Best Free:
This is where it gets funny, because oppinions, even between professional testers, varies greatly.

Microsoft Security essentials is either the best one out there, or pure crap
Same goes for Comodo. I use comodo, and except for one or two odd false positives (like some game mods) I have had zero problems. It is quite whiny though and if you don't turn off a lot of messages, you don't do anything but sit and "allow" stuff the first week or two.

These two products stand out though because they are both complete packages that are free.

[Pokonic]

The issue about Norton is that it's annoying. If you do not renew, your compie will get a pop-up that is a pain to permently remove, and I know more than a few who have had issues with the software itself. Even worse, the company is a pain to deal with.

[Soras Teva Gee]

The issue about Norton is that it's annoying. If you do not renew, your compie will get a pop-up that is a pain to permently remove, and I know more than a few who have had issues with the software itself. Even worse, the company is a pain to deal with.

That's why you never uninstall a major program without an actual uninstaller program and running your registry cleaner.

[Avilan the Grey]

That's why you never uninstall a major program without an actual uninstaller program and running your registry cleaner.

To be fair I think both Kaspersky and Norton has official removal tools to download on their homepage these days.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I've had some issues with it. I think it's the ads that do it. Some of those are probably fronts for malware. But now I've switched to Windows 7.

[Pokonic]

I've had some issues with it. I think it's the ads that do it. Some of those are probably fronts for malware. But now I've switched to Windows 7.

Works on it too, mark my words.