MySpace adware attack hits hard

theski · Post by **theski** » 2006-07-21 03:14pm

Like this wasnt gonna happen..

MySpace adware attack hits hard
By John Leyden
Published Friday 21st July 2006 13:20 GMT
Online banner ads running on MySpace.com and web sites infected more than one million users with adware, according to net security firm iDefense.

The attack exploited a Windows Metafile (WMF) exploit, fixed by Microsoft in January, to infect vulnerable Windows machines with malware from PurityScan/ClickSpring family of adware. The malware surreptitiously tracks internet usage while bombarding infected users with pop-up ads.

The banner ad that played a staring role in the attack ostensibly advertised a site called deckoutyourdeck.com. In reality, machines were directed to Russian-language website in Turkey, which tracked the number of times adware programs were downloaded, the Washington Post reports (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/security ... to_mo.html).

Data on the site suggested that the adware had been installed on 1.07m PCs, a huge figure that equates to a big payday for the unknown perpetrators of the attack and plenty of pain for ordinary surfers.

THE REG

Dave · Post by **Dave** » 2006-07-21 04:10pm

Agreed, but I'm surprised it hasn't happened earlier/more often/more prevalent.

What's the point of MySpace anyway? What is so interesting about my life that I want to waste time telling the rest of the world about it?

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2006-07-21 04:22pm

Dave wrote:Agreed, but I'm surprised it hasn't happened earlier/more often/more prevalent.

What's the point of MySpace anyway? What is so interesting about my life that I want to waste time telling the rest of the world about it?

Good thing thats not the point of it, eh?

Its a social networking hub. Like facebook, just with more Emo's.

Solauren · Post by **Solauren** » 2006-07-21 06:23pm

Or Lavalife for people that don't want to pay....

Molyneux · Post by **Molyneux** » 2006-07-21 06:57pm

Hey, good thing that I avoid MySpace like the plague.
With the advent of those goddamn Helio "Don't call it a cell phone" Myspace Mobile commercials, my dislike of the site has become active hate.

Waddles McGee · Post by **Waddles McGee** » 2006-07-21 10:57pm

Well, I used to be a religous myspace user, but good thing I stopped about last week. I got bored of it. If I hadn't, I'd be infested! T_T

Writing poetry and whining only go so far.