Chat bot?

r93kaey5p2izun

A few minutes ago I was on AH and clicked to go to the Christmas forum. I was diverted to "dating dot application dot net" and I got a popup saying "The page at datingdotapplication-9dotnet says VIRUS FOUND. The last website you visited has infected your device with a virus. Press OK to begin the repair process.

I couldnt close out of it and pressing back brought me to the "dating" website where I was able to close the browser.

Calibos

I've been getting the chat request on boards thing for a few weeks now. Mobile notification.com. Chrome on unjailbroken ipad2. I haven't been redirected because I just double tap home, swipe chrome closed, reopen chrome and immediately close the tab.

r93kaey5p2izun

Ramiro Delicious Omelette wrote: »

I've been redirected 4 times now to a porn site called "getting laid today dot com" (no spaces obviously). It's happened over the last 3 days. Opens on a full page pic of a naked woman. I'm using Galaxy S3, stock browser. Never visited any porn or dodgy websites so baffled by this. Avast detects nothing. Everytime I clicked back or typed a new address it just continued to redirect - had to close browser to get rid.

At first I thought maybe I had accidentally clicked on an ad but then it happened again. It has happened when clicking into forums (Teaching, Dublin City and Christmas) rather than into specific threads. Cleared cache, history, cookies etc but happened again.

Just had this happen again when I clicked into the "Teaching Jobs" thread in the T&L forum.

The sites listed in my browser history before it stopped on the one above were "live-537dot daterexdotcom/redirect" then "r dotleadzu dotcom" then "spaces dot slimspots dotcom".

HeidiHeidi

Was typing a reply in the Kirsty McColl thread when suddenly I was on yet another chat page.

Had copied the web address but copied over it unfortunately.

Seemed to be a different one this time. Not Samantha, and not porn, thankfully!

chocksaway

I've been getting a really annoying pop up from bank of ireland

It follows me whenever i scroll on the touch site

r93kaey5p2izun

Just received my first chat invite from Samantha while reading the Albert Spear thread in AH.

r93kaey5p2izun

Ramiro Delicious Omelette wrote: »

Just received my first chat invite from Samantha while reading the Albert Spear thread in AH.

And another just now while typing a reply to the New Years Resolutions thread in AH.

HeidiHeidi

And one for me just nowvwhen I opened this thread


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=93538105#post93538105

On android tablet (only ever seems to happen on it, never on the laptop).

DublinCJM

I've been getting the samantha pop-up on my ipad 2 - have had it a few times when moving between tabs in Safari.

But I rarely if ever browse boards on that device, so am guessing that it's not boards specific.

Boards.ie: Niamh

Can I ask that everyone experiencing this runs a scan on their device to check for malware again? I'm sur eyou have already but it is very unusual that only a handful of people are the experiencing this issue repeatedly.

I have contacted all of the ad networks that we use on the site but none of them have had any other similar reports - still waiting to hear from a couple though.

HeidiHeidi

Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »

Can I ask that everyone experiencing this runs a scan on their device to check for malware again? I'm sur eyou have already but it is very unusual that only a handful of people are the experiencing this issue repeatedly.

I have contacted all of the ad networks that we use on the site but none of them have had any other similar reports - still waiting to hear from a couple though.

I'm afraid you'd need to send me the the instruction booklet for that.....

Calhoun

Is there a decent malware for apple systems?

r93kaey5p2izun

I've scanned many times with Avast and found nothing. Just uninstalled it and installed AVG instead. It also finds nothing. This issue only happens when browsing boards.

r93kaey5p2izun

Just redirected to a very explicit website just now with a full screen video playing once it opened - very embarrassing. Sites listed in history are:

Live-539 dot daterex dotcom / redirect
Com-00- northamerica dotcom

I was reading the "December 24 Anything Open" thread in the Dublin City forum.

avalon68

I'm having the same message pop up on my iPad. Only on the boards.ie site. It's happened about 3 times now. I definitely didn't hit any add banners or anything.

HeidiHeidi

Had a visit from samantha again just now, within about 30 seconds of logging onto the tablet. Was in the passport megathread.

This seems to be getting worse.....

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

Did various scans as well and not finding anything. I am only getting this on boards.ie and I use various other online forums.

Kerry Gooner

Just got a visit from Samantha on iPad after clicking into the Argos bargains thread

HeidiHeidi

And she's back.

Straight to Samantha when I clicked to open the latest photo challenge thread. On android tablet, as usual.

Creamy Goodness

Dwayne Scary Supplement wrote: »

Did various scans as well and not finding anything. I am only getting this on boards.ie and I use various other online forums.

There's no malware here at play. Its sneaky google ads. I'm not seeing this at all cause I've ads turned off as I'm a subscriber. But i'd imagine if I turned them back ok i'd get it in a heartbeat.

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

Probably creamy. But trying to give any relevant info so this can be resolved.

r93kaey5p2izun

Ramiro Delicious Omelette wrote: »

A few minutes ago I was on AH and clicked to go to the Christmas forum. I was diverted to "dating dot application dot net" and I got a popup saying "The page at datingdotapplication-9dotnet says VIRUS FOUND. The last website you visited has infected your device with a virus. Press OK to begin the repair process.

I couldnt close out of it and pressing back brought me to the "dating" website where I was able to close the browser.

Similar again just now while reading a thread in Personal Issues. Only this time the page listed on the popup was download dotcom-go dot link

SpaceSasqwatch

try installing an ad block plug in for your browser.

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

Space... that's only hiding the problem. I also like to support boards with a few ad clicks every now and again.

It is strange that only a small number of people are seeing this issue though? I do suspect a dodgy advert of some kind.

A quick google today and I see others are having he same issues on sherdog.com

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

Got another two of these tonight. Was changing pages and got redirected to that daterex site.

Crimson King

Just to add my input, started seeing this 2 wks ago on iPad. Ignored it then just googled samantha_27 & boards to see this thread. Annoying but easily ignored.

r93kaey5p2izun

I've had the "Virus Found" popup happen 5 or 6 times over the past few days and then redirect to "dating" sites. Same again just now while reading in PI, redirected through several sites: dowloaddotcom, datingapplicationdot-9dotnet, daterexdotcom and the particularly lovely new one it landed on - bongacamsdotcom offering "Live Sex Cams Free Live Porn Chat and XXX Adult Shows".

r93kaey5p2izun

Dwayne Scary Supplement wrote: »

Space... that's only hiding the problem. I also like to support boards with a few ad clicks every now and again.

It is strange that only a small number of people are seeing this issue though? I do suspect a dodgy advert of some kind.

A quick google today and I see others are having he same issues on sherdog.com

Yes, and I see posters on the Straight Dope message boards have also reported the same problem - redirects to the same porn and dating websites and same chat popup.

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

I'll add that I had another pop up last night as well.

HeidiHeidi

Another delightful selection of porn sites tonight when I clicked into the "Am I Mad" thread.

No chat with Samantha this time, straight to the real thing.

Again on android tablet.

Are you any nearer to fixing this problem? Getting to be quite a PITA now.....

avalon68

seems to be getting a bit more frequent for me now - and the same - no longer to Samantha - straight to those sites.

Crimson King

Yeap, Samantha is now gone but straight to a porn sir and then to my app installer (iPad) to install badoink. Much more annoying now. So the option to browse back a few pages is gone, new browser page is needed.

Dr.Rieux

Happened to me again, ended up on bet365.com after several redirects. New browser page needed to get back to where I was.

r93kaey5p2izun

And again now while changing pages in the T&L forum. Datingapplicationdotnet

Ginny

Yup have had this happen a few times over the last two weeks. On an iPad, not jail broken and on safari. It's only happening on boards, getting the chat to and some pretty in your face porn redirects.
It's happened in a number of forums, I don't think I was on YLYL but could have been on after hours.

heldel00

Ginny wrote: »

Yup have had this happen a few times over the last two weeks. On an iPad, not jail broken and on safari. It's only happening on boards, getting the chat to and some pretty in your face porn redirects.
It's happened in a number of forums, I don't think I was on YLYL but could have been on after hours.

This has happened me when I have clicked on links in threads. Is it harmful to ipad or privacy of personal details stored on iPad? I'd like to use ipad at school but am afraid of losing my job if this filth was to be linked to me through central system!

r93kaey5p2izun

heldel00 wrote: »

This has happened me when I have clicked on links in threads. Is it harmful to ipad or privacy of personal details stored on iPad? I'd like to use ipad at school but am afraid of losing my job if this filth was to be linked to me through central system!

I'm the same. Have a tablet that I use in school (not for content shared with students though) and may just check email, news and boards on it as I'd have considered it a safe site. I'd be afraid to do that now just in case.

Mr. G

Is it all to a specific browser? E.g. Safari?

This might lock it down to a particular ad network.

I haven't had any problems on Android / Linux / Windows whatsoever. Each device is clear of viruses and nothing dodgy ever accessed / downloaded. Never experienced at of this so it would appear that possibly there's some rogue adware / extension / app / software on the device that was installed with something else. Very odd??

avalon68

Im using chrome on an ipad mini (not jailbroken ever) - so its not specific to safari. I havent added any new apps recently - downloaded some books from itunes, but I dont think that would be linked to this. I only have a problem on ipad - never on my laptop, but I do use an add blocker on that. It also only occurs on the boards site and Id assume if it was something I had inadvertently downloaded, then it would also happen on other sites. I'm also a bit reluctant to continue using the boards site on the iPad now - rather embarrassing to have these sites be popping up - Id be mortified if something like that popped up while I was at work. It might even flag up somewhere in the IT department?? Is that possible? I normally browse on my lunchbreak on my ipad rather than using the work computer for anything non-work related.

r93kaey5p2izun

I'm using a galaxy S3, not jailbroken, stock browser (don't even know what that is). I haven't downloaded any apps recently and in fact have very few at all - just the ones it came with (google maps, Youtube etc), Kindle and Greyhound. I only browse fairly major sites, no porn, nothing dodgy or strange. It only happens on boards. As of yet no malware etc detected by AVG or Avast.

Gadgetman496

If this is ad related or connected to pay per click links on Boards? could they not temporarily disable them all & reintroduce them one by one in an effort to identify the rogue? I'd imagine it's not an easy one to locate but it's going on for a while now & merits some sort of immediate action.

Ginny

It's definitely only on boards for me. I only made the connection last night. Nothing dodgy downloaded or accessed on this ipad. Plus I thought it was very rare to get malware on ipads?
I haven't had this issue on the other devices in the house, so android phones, nexus, PCs.

HeidiHeidi

I've only ever got while browsing boards, and only ever on the android tablet - never on the laptop, never on my android phone. Have an ad blocker on the laptop, not on the phone and not on the tablet.

I don't even know what "jailbroken" is, so I'm assuming the tablet isn't.

I use Chrome browser. I installed about three apps on the tablet years ago, and literally nothing new has gone on there in about two years.

Calibos

When you back out of a redirect the offending ad has refreshed, so the ad you see a when you click back to boards isn't necessarily the ad with the malicious code. When I refresh several times there seems to be a limited number of adds however because of the google targeting based on keywords in the thread.

Is there some way in chrome on the iPad to look at the source code while refreshing and copy and paste the ad urls. That way narrow things down for the admins. Eg, it's one of these 5 ads..... Etc

HeidiHeidi

Calibos wrote: »

When you back out of a redirect the offending ad has refreshed, so the ad you see a when you click back to boards isn't necessarily the ad with the malicious code. When I refresh several times there seems to be a limited number of adds however because of the google targeting based on keywords in the thread.

Is there some way in chrome on the iPad to look at the source code while refreshing and copy and paste the ad urls. That way narrow things down for the admins. Eg, it's one of these 5 ads..... Etc

No idea what the above suggestion actually means...... but while you can back out of a Samantha invite, you can't back out of the porn sites - each time you click "back" you just get a different porn site. Have to close the tab and open a new one.

Also, there seems to be a mixture of people with adblockers and not..... I don't have an adblocker on my phone but never get redirected. Also, I've had an adblocker on the laptop for a long time but I'm pretty sure I got Samantha in the early days on it - not lately though. (Although I couldn't swear to that)

So is it actually certain it's a rogue ad?

Macker2001

Cantremember wrote: »

last night and again tonight a chat bot appears shortly after I log in to boards. I'm on iPad and the boards window disappears replaced by a bot called samantha27. Same text each night. Houston, we have a problem.

Exactly what's happening to me too

Mr. G

avalon68 wrote: »

Im using chrome on an ipad mini (not jailbroken ever) - so its not specific to safari. I havent added any new apps recently - downloaded some books from itunes, but I dont think that would be linked to this. I only have a problem on ipad - never on my laptop, but I do use an add blocker on that. It also only occurs on the boards site and Id assume if it was something I had inadvertently downloaded, then it would also happen on other sites. I'm also a bit reluctant to continue using the boards site on the iPad now - rather embarrassing to have these sites be popping up - Id be mortified if something like that popped up while I was at work. It might even flag up somewhere in the IT department?? Is that possible? I normally browse on my lunchbreak on my ipad rather than using the work computer for anything non-work related.

Depends if the helpdesk/IT department monitor or proxy your internet traffic. Although they would know Boards.ie is fairly safe. Ad traffic like that may come from ad networks so all that traffic would be generally ignored.

Is anyone having issues on non-Apple devices? E.g. Windows? That might narrow it down.

HeidiHeidi

Mr. G wrote: »

Depends if the helpdesk/IT department monitor or proxy your internet traffic. Although they would know Boards.ie is fairly safe. Ad traffic like that may come from ad networks so all that traffic would be generally ignored.

Is anyone having issues on non-Apple devices? E.g. Windows? That might narrow it down.

Android tablet in my case.

Macker2001

Happens on my ipad but never on the phone both apple. Doesn't happen while using any other site only boards.

r93kaey5p2izun

Mr. G wrote: »

Is anyone having issues on non-Apple devices? E.g. Windows? That might narrow it down.

Android phone