virus warnings

This is a message forum open to the public to make comments about Quatloos! and for suggestions meant to improve the website.
davids
Farting Cow Emeritus
Posts: 317
Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2013 6:03 am

virus warnings

Post by davids »

Whenever I surf over to check out quatloos lately, up pops an announcement from my anti virus software that it just blocked an intrusion attempt. This has been happening for several days. Just passing it on.
fortinbras
Princeps Wooloosia
Posts: 3144
Joined: Sat May 24, 2008 4:50 pm

Re: virus warnings

Post by fortinbras »

Not to be annoying, but are you sure it's from YOUR virus software. There's a lot of scareware on the net that does pop-ups looking like your own (or Microsoft's own) virus detectors, and it tells you that you are riddled with viruses and click here to scan your memory more fully; clicking loads up ransomware that pretends to find a zillion bits of malware (if it shows you what is supposed to be your file directory you'll see a whole lot of files that contain your name in the filename - even though you don't name files that way - because that display is completely bogus) and then the software says you MUST immediately buy, with your credit card, such-and-such program you never heard of to clean out the malware - and it won't budge from your screen. If you restart the damn thing is still there. (Some of this is being done from foreign countries and it's very convincing. But if you pay, you may get a remedy program that simply undoes their own trojan -- or you may get nothing for your money and your computer stays frozen, go try to find them.)

My one protection is, the very instant I see that first pop-up pretend warning screen, I restart and then immediately start up my real anti-virus anti-malware programs, one right after the other, to clear out that pop-up for good. If need be, I go to a restore point.
obadiah
Pirate
Pirate
Posts: 189
Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2010 1:47 pm
Location: The Gorge, Oregon

Re: virus warnings

Post by obadiah »

fortinbras wrote:My one protection is, the very instant I see that first pop-up pretend warning screen, I restart and then immediately start up my real anti-virus anti-malware programs, one right after the other, to clear out that pop-up for good. If need be, I go to a restore point.
Excellent advice.
1. There is a kind of law that I like, which are my own rules, which I call common law. It applies to me.
2. There are many other kinds of law but they don’t apply to me, because I say so."
LLAP
davids
Farting Cow Emeritus
Posts: 317
Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2013 6:03 am

Re: virus warnings

Post by davids »

I appreciate the suggestion, but it is actually from my anti virus software. It happens instantaneously every time I try to look at the first page of the forums. It does not ask for me to pay for "protection" from them (the internet equivalent of a protection racket) and I know what you are referring to. I actually use anti virus software with a Mac for a reason. But the problem persists here, and I find that odd.
obadiah
Pirate
Pirate
Posts: 189
Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2010 1:47 pm
Location: The Gorge, Oregon

Re: virus warnings

Post by obadiah »

Which software are you using?
1. There is a kind of law that I like, which are my own rules, which I call common law. It applies to me.
2. There are many other kinds of law but they don’t apply to me, because I say so."
LLAP
User avatar
wserra
Quatloosian Federal Witness
Quatloosian Federal Witness
Posts: 7627
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2003 6:39 pm

Re: virus warnings

Post by wserra »

I log in at least a couple of times per day, am running both fully-updated McAfee (home) and Malwarebytes (office), and have never had a warning.
"A wise man proportions belief to the evidence."
- David Hume
JamesVincent
A Councilor of the Kabosh
Posts: 3096
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:01 am
Location: Wherever my truck goes.

Re: virus warnings

Post by JamesVincent »

Wonder if it's hitting on the anti-anonymous software? None of mine do but it's possible.
Disciple of the cross and champion in suffering
Immerse yourself into the kingdom of redemption
Pardon your mind through the chains of the divine
Make way, the shepherd of fire

Avenged Sevenfold "Shepherd of Fire"
obadiah
Pirate
Pirate
Posts: 189
Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2010 1:47 pm
Location: The Gorge, Oregon

Re: virus warnings

Post by obadiah »

I also log in a few times a day, am running AVG and Malwarebytes and have never had a warning.
1. There is a kind of law that I like, which are my own rules, which I call common law. It applies to me.
2. There are many other kinds of law but they don’t apply to me, because I say so."
LLAP
Famspear
Knight Templar of the Sacred Tax
Posts: 7668
Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 12:59 pm
Location: Texas

Re: virus warnings

Post by Famspear »

I have not seen any warnings, on my computers at work or at home.
"My greatest fear is that the audience will beat me to the punch line." -- David Mamet
User avatar
webhick
Illuminati Obfuscation: Black Ops Div
Posts: 3994
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:41 am

Re: virus warnings

Post by webhick »

Not getting any warnings here. I just checked the rendered source on all the themes as well as ran diffs on the actual template files and there's nothing there that would cause the problem.

Exactly what page is generating the problem? Please copy and paste the url. Also, is there any way you can paste the log here? If you don't feel comfortable posting it publicly, you can PM it to me. I know you mentioned that it was your anti-virus throwing the error, but I suspect the firewall since it would also block an intrusion attempt, so if you don't see it in the AV logs try the firewall logs.
JamesVincent wrote:Wonder if it's hitting on the anti-anonymous software? None of mine do but it's possible.
We don't have anti-anonymous software but we've got some anti-hacker protection which has a side-effect of sometimes blocking people using an anonymizer service (due to hackers abusing said service). It would just display a 403 error, not try to hack the originating computer.
When chosen for jury duty, tell the judge "fortune cookie says guilty" - A fortune cookie
fortinbras
Princeps Wooloosia
Posts: 3144
Joined: Sat May 24, 2008 4:50 pm

Re: virus warnings

Post by fortinbras »

I also get no such warnings and I have three anti-virus programs on my PC. Is it possible that your Windows set-up made the Privacy or Security levels too tight? Is this happening to you with other websites?
User avatar
webhick
Illuminati Obfuscation: Black Ops Div
Posts: 3994
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:41 am

Re: virus warnings

Post by webhick »

fortinbras wrote:I also get no such warnings and I have three anti-virus programs on my PC. Is it possible that your Windows set-up made the Privacy or Security levels too tight? Is this happening to you with other websites?
It would be super weird for the Windows privacy and security levels to be too high on a Mac.
When chosen for jury duty, tell the judge "fortune cookie says guilty" - A fortune cookie
AndyK
Illuminatian Revenue Supremo Emeritus
Posts: 1591
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2011 8:13 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: virus warnings

Post by AndyK »

I have encountered this issue a few times in the past.

All were traceable to user atavars or embedded pictures (links) which had the original source corrupted.
Taxes are the price we pay for a free society and to cover the responsibilities of the evaders
JamesVincent
A Councilor of the Kabosh
Posts: 3096
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 7:01 am
Location: Wherever my truck goes.

Re: virus warnings

Post by JamesVincent »

AndyK wrote:I have encountered this issue a few times in the past.

All were traceable to user atavars or embedded pictures (links) which had the original source corrupted.
I actually can see that, I've had that problem on other websites but not here.
Webhick wrote:We don't have anti-anonymous software but we've got some anti-hacker protection which has a side-effect of sometimes blocking people using an anonymizer service (due to hackers abusing said service). It would just display a 403 error, not try to hack the originating computer.
There's a couple on anti-whatever programs that advertise virtual identity protection by logging you onto a website through a VPN. If our software is kicking it out it may cause a false virus warning was what I was thinking. Like I said I've never had that kind of problem here, just the very random server not found.
Disciple of the cross and champion in suffering
Immerse yourself into the kingdom of redemption
Pardon your mind through the chains of the divine
Make way, the shepherd of fire

Avenged Sevenfold "Shepherd of Fire"
User avatar
webhick
Illuminati Obfuscation: Black Ops Div
Posts: 3994
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:41 am

Re: virus warnings

Post by webhick »

AndyK wrote:I have encountered this issue a few times in the past.

All were traceable to user atavars or embedded pictures (links) which had the original source corrupted.
He mentioned that it's happening on the front page of the site, which I take to mean the forum. We don't have any off-site pictures on the front page of the forum.
When chosen for jury duty, tell the judge "fortune cookie says guilty" - A fortune cookie