Mike Holt's forum computer security warning

ggunnggunn Solar Expert Posts: 1,973 ✭✭✭
in Solar Skeptics, Hype, & Scams Corner #1
In addition to participating in this forum, I also frequently visit the Mike Holt forum, specifically the Photovoltaic subforum. Yesterday both my home and work computers started giving me a malware security warning whenever I try to access the site. In both cases the site is blocked by my security software; I could ignore the warning and get around the block, but I am leery of doing that.
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  • solar_davesolar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,395 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Mike Holt's forum computer security warning
    ggunn wrote: »
    In addition to participating in this forum, I also frequently visit the Mike Holt forum, specifically the Photovoltaic subforum. Yesterday both my home and work computers started giving me a malware security warning whenever I try to access the site. In both cases the site is blocked by my security software; I could ignore the warning and get around the block, but I am leery of doing that.

    It probably is not that site if they have advertisers, but the ad sites. I have seen this before.
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  • Dave AngeliniDave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,392 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Mike Holt's forum computer security warning
    ggunn wrote: »
    In addition to participating in this forum, I also frequently visit the Mike Holt forum, specifically the Photovoltaic subforum. Yesterday both my home and work computers started giving me a malware security warning whenever I try to access the site. In both cases the site is blocked by my security software; I could ignore the warning and get around the block, but I am leery of doing that.
    Probably a good time to update your security and browser and run a scan if you have not already. :grr
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
     http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
    E-mail [email protected]

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  • CariboocootCariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Mike Holt's forum computer security warning

    Good idea to be leery, seeing as how this site was recently hacked and subjected to a redirect inclusion.

    Hackers, like spammers, need to be put to death. :grr
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  • ggunnggunn Solar Expert Posts: 1,973 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Mike Holt's forum computer security warning
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    Good idea to be leery, seeing as how this site was recently hacked and subjected to a redirect inclusion.

    Hackers, like spammers, need to be put to death. :grr
    I guess I just don't understand people. Why a hacker, someone who lives and breathes computers, would go to such lengths to try to screw them all up is beyond me. Even pigs are smart enough not to defecate where they eat.
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  • solar_davesolar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,395 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Mike Holt's forum computer security warning
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    Good idea to be leery, seeing as how this site was recently hacked and subjected to a redirect inclusion.

    Hackers, like spammers, need to be put to death. :grr

    With limited tickets sold to the highest bidders.
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  • BB.BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,082 admin
    #7
    Re: Mike Holt's forum computer security warning

    As much time as I spend (with the other moderators here) keeping spamming under control--Lets not go down this road any farther.

    -Bill "moderator" B.
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • WindsunWindsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
    #8
    Re: Mike Holt's forum computer security warning

    Like a few other sites lately, it is not the site itself that is triggering the warning, but the ads - or probably one specific ad. I have run across similar ads even on major sites on rare occasions.
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  • ggunnggunn Solar Expert Posts: 1,973 ✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: Mike Holt's forum computer security warning
    Windsun wrote: »
    Like a few other sites lately, it is not the site itself that is triggering the warning, but the ads - or probably one specific ad. I have run across similar ads even on major sites on rare occasions.

    UPDATE: mikeholt.com fixed their problem and offered up this in the way of an explanation of what happened:

    http://news.softpedia.com/news/Aroun...e-366442.shtml
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  • BB.BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,082 admin
    #10
    Re: Mike Holt's forum computer security warning

    ggun's link is "bad" (shortened link used)... I think this is the article he was pointing to:

    Around 150,000 vBulletin Forums Compromised, Abused to Serve Malware
    As many as 150,000 websites powered by the popular vBulletin forum platform might have been hacked and abused to serve malware to their visitors.

    Experts from Sucuri have found that cybercriminals are exploiting serious vulnerabilities in older versions of vBulletin to hijack the forums.

    “[The malware] uses the Plugin system and hooks into ‘global_start’, so it is called on every page request,” Sucuri CTO Daniel Cid explained in a blog post.

    The PHP code that’s injected is designed to contact front.adabeupdate.com and retrieve content from it.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • ggunnggunn Solar Expert Posts: 1,973 ✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: Mike Holt's forum computer security warning
    BB. wrote: »
    ggun's link is "bad" (shortened link used)... I think this is the article he was pointing to:

    Around 150,000 vBulletin Forums Compromised, Abused to Serve Malware



    -Bill
    That's the one. Thanks, Bill.
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