Is ImageShack safe??

[Charyb-0]

Several times in the last few months while opening files that users have uploaded to imageshack I have gotten a fake av scan. Has anyone else experienced this while opening an image from ImageShack? The latest was a .jpg and I can never get it to reproduce.

I'm beginning to think that imageshack is not a safe site.

I had opened both .jpg located in this post http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=73292.0 when it happened.
Wonder if it is one of their ads.

[YoKenny]

Please see Tech's post

Please, do not use images hosted in imageshack.us here in forums.

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=19387.msg607564#msg607564

[Charyb-0]

Thanks Kenny. It also gave me a pop-up that wanted me to download something. I assume a rogue AV. So I clicked on it to see what it would do. I have a fresh image so I figured that I would give it a try. The download was blocked Trojan:W32/Generic. So, yes there is something strange that happens on that site on occasion. I sent imageshack an email about this.

Below are comments from Siteadvisor. What baffles me is that there are many green comments too.

[YoKenny]

McAfee SiteAdvisor is more unreliable than WOT as it even rates sites with known malware as safe!

[DavidR]

@ Charyb
The reason Tech posted that was nothing to do with security, but that imageshack.us seems to block access to the images for certain non-us geographical locations. So images aren't displayed.

I just visited both links you mentioned, I got no popup wanting to download anything and displayed the two images referred to in the topic.

I use firefox with NoScript and RequestPolicy, so that would provide a degree of extra protection, but selectively allowing some of the script and cross site stuff, still no pop-up or complaint from avast. So I don't know if this happened to be directly the reason for the fake alert.

Site advisor is notorious for way out of date reviews.

[Lisandro]

@ Charyb
The reason Tech posted that was nothing to do with security, but that imageshack.us seems to block access to the images for certain non-us geographical locations. So images aren't displayed.

Precisely.

[Charyb-0]

I never disputed Tech's post. YoKenny's point was to not use imageshack per Tech. Now there is even more reason not to use it with the malware that you can get by visiting that site.

It has happened to me on three different occasions while viewing an image that users have posted in this forum. As I stated I can never get it to duplicate. There are comments by users at Siteadvisor that have had the same experience. Real users that have had the exact same thing happen. I'm certain I can find more comments from people that have had this happen. There is something very strange with this site.

Google: "imageshack malware" and you will find many complaints on this problem.

[YoKenny]

When I go see my doctor and he askes me what is wrong so I say Doc it hurts when I do this! he tells me Don't do that!
Then I have to pay my health premium increase.  :'(

[Coolmario88]

I had this problem too but i caught the link and reported it and than the next day the link died.

[DavidR]

I never disputed Tech's post. YoKenny's point was to not use imageshack per Tech. Now there is even more reason not to use it with the malware that you can get by visiting that site.

It has happened to me on three different occasions while viewing an image that users have posted in this forum. As I stated I can never get it to duplicate. There are comments by users at Siteadvisor that have had the same experience. Real users that have had the exact same thing happen. I'm certain I can find more comments from people that have had this happen. There is something very strange with this site.

Google: "imageshack malware" and you will find many complaints on this problem.

I know you weren't disputing it, I was simply giving the reason why Tech said not to use it so as not to add to any misconception of imageshack.us.

Then you should also include all other image sharing as I have no doubt that this can happen there as well if you check out others. See http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=photobucket+malware or any other popular image sharing site.

The thing I find strange about this is that it is imageshack that displays the image, so unless that image was crafted to try and exploit then avast would likely detect that as jpg exploits avast would be all over. Or if the image file wasn't actually an image, but I say nothing of either in the links I checked.

There are always going to potential for exploitation on image hosting sites and that is why I generally advise people to attach their image on the forums, though that may not stop any malicious attempt to exploit.

[Gargamel360]

Is the Internet safe??......nope

[bob3160]

ImageShack may be safe but, you have to post a link in here and we have to go to the link
in order to see the picture.
If you used PhotoBucket, you could host the picture there but post the actual picture here on the
forum as I and many others currently do.

[Coolmario88]

Does Photobucket have Malware? Cause i use the site to upload all my images mostly

[Charyb-0]

According to what David posted above, there is a possibility. The google search that is.

@David- I wonder if it could be located in a particular ad and not the images.

[Coolmario88]

I contacted ImageShack Support about their Site Redirecting users to A Fake Antivirus website.