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thomas81
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28 Nov 2012, 6:21 pm

Ive got this pesky malware on my browser that is turning text into unwanted links. For some bizarre reason though, it only happens on wrong planet. This is whats going on-
[img][800:533]http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d139/subzero2006/links.jpg[/img]


I've tried using malware bytes, doesnt help. Both internet explorer and firefox seems to be infected. It wont let me remove the offending malware using the browser tools. What do?



Marybird
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28 Nov 2012, 7:11 pm

I get that too, started today, only on Wrong Planet. I don't know what to do about it.



eric76
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28 Nov 2012, 7:17 pm

I hate those links -- they keep getting in the way and popping up at the wrong times.

It's not malware. To be there, it had to be intentionally added by the WrongPlanet staff.

You can opt out of it. Hover over a link and you will see a question mark in the little thing that pops up. Click on the question mark and it will take you to a web page about the links. Toward the bottom of the page there will a link that will let you opt out of the links. Just click on that.



eric76
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28 Nov 2012, 7:22 pm

By the way, the "opt out" is stored as a cookie. As long as your cookies are persistent, the "opt out" should be in force even after you leave the browser and go back in.

In my case, to keep cookies from being stored on my computer, I have the cookie file marked as "read only". When I start the browser, it can read the cookies that are already in the file, but any new cookies are never stored on the hard drive.

So if your cookie file is "read only", you would have to make it "read/write", go to WrongPlanet, click on the question mark in the annoying popup thing, and opt out. Then leave wrong planet, remove any and all cookies added while visiting wrong planet that you don't want to save, exit the browser, and then mark your cookie file "read only" again.



Marybird
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28 Nov 2012, 7:43 pm

Thank you eric76.



thomas81
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28 Nov 2012, 7:48 pm

eric76 wrote:
I hate those links -- they keep getting in the way and popping up at the wrong times.

It's not malware. To be there, it had to be intentionally added by the WrongPlanet staff.

You can opt out of it. Hover over a link and you will see a question mark in the little thing that pops up. Click on the question mark and it will take you to a web page about the links. Toward the bottom of the page there will a link that will let you opt out of the links. Just click on that.



brilliant.

I was terrified of clicking on the link in case it led me to some insidious site that would flood my computer with trojans and hijacker viruses.



ccallahan
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28 Nov 2012, 9:09 pm

I hate those. They are like landmines, accidentally hit one and you get a video ad. On a side note, it should be illegal for a website to play sound without your permission.


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TallyMan
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29 Nov 2012, 6:27 am

There is a thread discussing this "malware" in the wp.net discussion forum: http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt216617.html


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Fogman
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29 Nov 2012, 1:48 pm

I have no idea of what browser you're using, but if your using Firefox, install the NoScript extension, and disallow infolinks.com, which is where those links come from.


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DerStadtschutz
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29 Nov 2012, 3:02 pm

Use Chrome/Chromium.



bettalove
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02 Dec 2012, 4:15 am

the free version of SuperAntiSpyware usual fixes most of my problems.


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BlueMax
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02 Dec 2012, 4:56 am

It's not spyware - it was added by WP staff - read above on how to disable it.



kxmode
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06 Dec 2012, 5:42 am

thomas81 wrote:
Ive got this pesky malware on my browser that is turning text into unwanted links. For some bizarre reason though, it only happens on wrong planet. This is whats going on-
[image cropped]
I've tried using malware bytes, doesnt help. Both internet explorer and firefox seems to be infected. It wont let me remove the offending malware using the browser tools. What do?


You can disable those links with AdBlock Plus. It is available for Chrome and Firefox. I would recommend whitelisting at least some of WP's ads so that they can still receive revenue.



ianorlin
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06 Dec 2012, 3:09 pm

I allow the banner ads but don't pay much attention to them because they are not in the text.



ablomov
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06 Dec 2012, 5:49 pm

they've gone for me .. 6th dec 2012 .. stopped here a cpl of days ... now gone.