Paltalk knowingly sponsors malware sites that contain WinFixer or a WinFixer varient (such as Drive Cleaner). These malware ads display anywhere it has html ads such as the "view profile" link. If you loop thru these ads by clicking the view profile link you will eventually come across the WinFixer ad. I was able to receive these ads repeatedly early yesterday morning, but having trouble accessing the ad since then. My guess is that the ad is showing at certain times, maybe during the early AM hours and perhaps only for the free version of the software. I will continue to try and reproduce these ads, and provide screenshots each time it occurs. WinFixer is particularly nasty in that it will attempt to exploit your IE or Java. Simply clicking cancel doesn't close it. Instead it will take you to a page where it initiates a fake scan on your computer alerting of you various problems in attempts to scare you into buying this rogue software. Of course, if it can exploit you during this process. It will. The next IE or Java exploit will surely infect thousands of unsuspecting Paltalk users thru these types of ads that Paltalk's very own red coats admit to sponsoring.
I confronted Paltalk's support regarding this issue, and they acknowledged it, and simply said to click cancel and it will go away. When I pointed out that it was malware and exploiting unpatched Windows, they said that it "isn't Paltalk but an advert". I fail to understand why the security community refuses to hold Paltalk accountable for channeling malware through it's software. Ads or not, It is through use of Paltalk that people are infected, and Paltalk continues to sponsor such malware sites. It's interesting the community accepts this. That's like saying. I didn't kill that person! My hitman did it! Try giving that excuse to a judge in a court of law.
I'll tell you this though, You will not find trusted sites such as yahoo displaying WinFixer ads on their pages or IM software. And if WinFixer was to find itself into one, then it would be removed as soon as it is reported.
The main players in the community are too influenced by politics and money, and in my opinion, fail utterly at what is supposed to be their mission: to combat all forms of malware, the programs, and organizations that knowlingly sponsor and profit from it. But popular software such as Paltalk is allowed to get away with this. Little bit of money, and political influence and all the AV software and Anti spyware software turn a blind eye.
Just go and do a google search for hijackthis and Paltalk. You'll find loads of hijackthis logs from infected Paltalk users and you'll find neutral security minded people that recommend against use of Paltalk for the very reasons I stated above.
Why don't you guys at AVAST throw up a banner for WinFixer so that when someone accesses your main page all of those people get those scarey messageboxes and then immediately directed to WinFixer's scare page. and then Explain to them that It isn't AVAST that is doing it! It's our Advertisement! Gee what would happen then?
