Trojan Virus Warning for Google Peeps - GoFuckYourself.com

seeric · 12-29-2005, 09:12 AM

A malicious software that targets Google AdSense ads has been discovered recently. I found this on one of my seo resource sites.

A new trojan horse discovered by an Indian publisher replaces Google AdSense ads with their own ads, advertising sites including dating, sex, viagra and weight loss. This trojan is very recent, because it not only converts regular AdSense ad units, but also the Google AdSense and Firefox referrer buttons into text links.

Source: http://www.jensense.com/archives/200...ous_softw.html

December 28, 2005
Malicious software targets Google AdSense ads

It was only a matter of time before a trojan or virus targeted AdSense or YPM for malicious activity, and the time has come. A new trojan horse discovered by an Indian publisher replaces Google AdSense ads with their own ads, advertising sites including dating, sex, viagra and weight loss. This trojan is very recent, because it not only converts regular AdSense ad units, but also the Google AdSense and Firefox referrer buttons into text links.

Techshout.com reports that a new, deceptive Trojan Horse program has surfaced. The program is engineered to produce fake Google ads that are formatted to look like legitimate ones. The ads are incorporated in Google AdSense, the program that lets website owners display ads from Google?s list of advertisers. The Trojan Horse apparently downloads itself onto an unsuspecting computer through a web page and then replaces the original ads with its own set of malicious ads.

Techshout, which broke the story and also has quotes from Raoul Bangera who discovered the new trojan, does not reveal the website that the computer was originally infected from, nor the name of the trojan horse. A quick scan of several security sites does not have any details on this particular threat. However, there have been previous cases of spyware which would overwrite AdSense ads.

The Google AdSense team did not confirm it was specifically a trojan, but did state they believed it was malicious software that Bangera had discovered.

Since the Trojan Horse makes the deceptive ads look like normal Google ads, the program was nearly impossible to detect by the general public. However, Raoul Bangera, an Indian web publisher, discovered the bogus program and contacted the Google AdSense team. Bangera emailed the team a number of cases, including various screenshots, log files of an infected computer and system files as proof. The AdSense team validated the news saying, ?We can confirm from the screenshots that these are fake Google ads, formatted to look like legitimate ads. We agree that this phenomenon is likely the result of malicious software installed on your computer.?

There was no mention if YPN or other contextual ads on websites were being overwritten with this as well.

The ad units themselves look extremely similar to regular AdSense ad units, complete with the "Ads by Google", which has replaced the "Ads by Goooooogle" which appears on the majority of regular publisher sites. And looking at the screenshots available at techshout, it appears that it even utilizes the site's own ad unit color theme when it overrides the ads with their own.

More details should emerge over the next few days, particularly how widespread this threat actually is, or if it is a more isolated threat infecting few users. And a note to surfers that if you see types of ads (such as adult ads) appearing in AdSense ad units - that are even branded as Ads by Google - that you could be a victim of this malicious software and that Google isn't actually serving up these types of ads to you.

Tom_PM · 12-29-2005, 09:16 AM

Sneaky bastards..

Screaming · 12-29-2005, 09:20 AM

Ive had that thing. Fucking sucked.

Furious_Male · 12-29-2005, 09:27 AM

Do they actualy think Google will pay them for revenues earned via this method.

AsianDevil · 12-29-2005, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Furious_Male

Do they actualy think Google will pay them for revenues earned via this method.

That's a damn good question. Makes you wonder how they could refute the claim though.

Tom_PM · 12-29-2005, 09:54 AM

I think the point isnt to try to get google to pay them, but simply to get clicks and sales on their own ads..?

JD · 12-29-2005, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PR_Tom

I think the point isnt to try to get google to pay them, but simply to get clicks and sales on their own ads..?

^ what he said

Kick Ass Chat · 12-29-2005, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PR_Tom

I think the point isnt to try to get google to pay them, but simply to get clicks and sales on their own ads..?

Exactly

SmokeyTheBear · 12-29-2005, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Furious_Male

Do they actualy think Google will pay them for revenues earned via this method.

they arent using google adsense , they are replacing the adsense box with their own links ( that arent adsense ) .

seeric · 12-29-2005, 02:40 PM

i wouldnt want to be them, no matter what they are doing. basically unlimited capital and i am sure that if you are google, your employees would know some pretty ruthless blackhats that could make your life a miserable hell.

12-29-2005, 09:12 AM	#1
seeric .......... Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: .......... Posts: 41,917	Trojan Virus Warning for Google Peeps A malicious software that targets Google AdSense ads has been discovered recently. I found this on one of my seo resource sites. A new trojan horse discovered by an Indian publisher replaces Google AdSense ads with their own ads, advertising sites including dating, sex, viagra and weight loss. This trojan is very recent, because it not only converts regular AdSense ad units, but also the Google AdSense and Firefox referrer buttons into text links. Source: http://www.jensense.com/archives/200...ous_softw.html December 28, 2005 Malicious software targets Google AdSense ads It was only a matter of time before a trojan or virus targeted AdSense or YPM for malicious activity, and the time has come. A new trojan horse discovered by an Indian publisher replaces Google AdSense ads with their own ads, advertising sites including dating, sex, viagra and weight loss. This trojan is very recent, because it not only converts regular AdSense ad units, but also the Google AdSense and Firefox referrer buttons into text links. Techshout.com reports that a new, deceptive Trojan Horse program has surfaced. The program is engineered to produce fake Google ads that are formatted to look like legitimate ones. The ads are incorporated in Google AdSense, the program that lets website owners display ads from Google?s list of advertisers. The Trojan Horse apparently downloads itself onto an unsuspecting computer through a web page and then replaces the original ads with its own set of malicious ads. Techshout, which broke the story and also has quotes from Raoul Bangera who discovered the new trojan, does not reveal the website that the computer was originally infected from, nor the name of the trojan horse. A quick scan of several security sites does not have any details on this particular threat. However, there have been previous cases of spyware which would overwrite AdSense ads. The Google AdSense team did not confirm it was specifically a trojan, but did state they believed it was malicious software that Bangera had discovered. Since the Trojan Horse makes the deceptive ads look like normal Google ads, the program was nearly impossible to detect by the general public. However, Raoul Bangera, an Indian web publisher, discovered the bogus program and contacted the Google AdSense team. Bangera emailed the team a number of cases, including various screenshots, log files of an infected computer and system files as proof. The AdSense team validated the news saying, ?We can confirm from the screenshots that these are fake Google ads, formatted to look like legitimate ads. We agree that this phenomenon is likely the result of malicious software installed on your computer.? There was no mention if YPN or other contextual ads on websites were being overwritten with this as well. The ad units themselves look extremely similar to regular AdSense ad units, complete with the "Ads by Google", which has replaced the "Ads by Goooooogle" which appears on the majority of regular publisher sites. And looking at the screenshots available at techshout, it appears that it even utilizes the site's own ad unit color theme when it overrides the ads with their own. More details should emerge over the next few days, particularly how widespread this threat actually is, or if it is a more isolated threat infecting few users. And a note to surfers that if you see types of ads (such as adult ads) appearing in AdSense ad units - that are even branded as Ads by Google - that you could be a victim of this malicious software and that Google isn't actually serving up these types of ads to you.

12-29-2005, 09:16 AM	#2
Tom_PM Porn Meister Industry Role: Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 16,443	Sneaky bastards.. __________________ 43-922-863 Shut up and play your guitar.

12-29-2005, 09:20 AM	#3
Screaming I can change this!!!!! Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 18,972	Ive had that thing. Fucking sucked. __________________

12-29-2005, 09:27 AM	#4
Furious_Male Doing the grind since 99 Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Buffalo NY Posts: 16,883	Do they actualy think Google will pay them for revenues earned via this method. __________________ Living in Virtual Reality Contact: Email (preferred): furiousmale .at. gmail - Skype: live:shanedws

12-29-2005, 09:54 AM	#6
Tom_PM Porn Meister Industry Role: Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 16,443	I think the point isnt to try to get google to pay them, but simply to get clicks and sales on their own ads..? __________________ 43-922-863 Shut up and play your guitar.

12-29-2005, 02:40 PM	#10
seeric .......... Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: .......... Posts: 41,917	i wouldnt want to be them, no matter what they are doing. basically unlimited capital and i am sure that if you are google, your employees would know some pretty ruthless blackhats that could make your life a miserable hell.