SECURITY WARNINGS & Notices - Please post them here

[Para-Noid]

Complex Method of Obfuscation Found in Dropper RealShell

https://blog.malwarebytes.org/mobile-2/2015/06/complex-method-of-obfuscation-found-in-dropper-realshell/?utm_source=Gplus&utm_medium=social

[polonus]

Ask Toolbar latest version no longer detected by MS as malware: http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/threat/encyclopedia/entry.aspx?Name=BrowserModifier%3AWin32%2FAskToolbarNotifier&wa=wsignin1.0#tab=1
See: http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-confirms-ask-toolbar-not-215800633.html
The toolbar comes bundled with all sorts of software and
as not malicious per se some may consider it adware or a PUP.

pol

[Asyn]

Ask Toolbar Now Considered Malware By Microsoft   
http://search.slashdot.org/story/15/06/11/1223236/ask-toolbar-now-considered-malware-by-microsoft

Ask Toolbar latest version no longer detected by MS as malware: http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/threat/encyclopedia/entry.aspx?Name=BrowserModifier%3AWin32%2FAskToolbarNotifier&wa=wsignin1.0#tab=1

One step forward, two steps back...

[essexboy]

I still remove it, as the vast majority of people do not even know they have it

[polonus]

Yes, the way the flaggelants moved.
See attached - MS self-punishment.

pol

[Asyn]

I still remove it, as the vast majority of people do not even know they have it

Way to go pal, you're top-notch.

[Para-Noid]

Warning: Don’t Download Software From SourceForge If You Can Help It

http://www.howtogeek.com/218764/warning-don%E2%80%99t-download-software-from-sourceforge-if-you-can-help-it/

This is news to me.

[DavidR]

Warning: Don’t Download Software From SourceForge If You Can Help It

http://www.howtogeek.com/218764/warning-don%E2%80%99t-download-software-from-sourceforge-if-you-can-help-it/

This is news to me.

This is actually quite old, I would still trust sourceforge as since that happened there have been changes (more likely forced). Authors of existing software still being maintained/updated have to give permission to have any add-ons I believe.

That said all users should apply the normal degree of caution when installing applications (custom install only) and you also have UnChecky to help prevent unwanted add-ons.

[polonus]

Hi DavidR,

We here are fully aware of the general threat of bundled goodies, PUPs, additional risk-, crap-, junk- and adware.
However the average unaware or disinterested user is eventually trapped as the avoidability of these marketed goodies to gain "cheap money" becomes harder and harder. The truth that freeware is being paid by giving up part of your privacy and by trading your personal data in some form of user contempt is not fully known, we here that deal with such abuse everyday know better, while we see that the balance is more and more slipping out of the users' hands. Worse is that hordes of users do not seem to mind at all and even seem to welcome this state of affairs while merrily clicking on in some form of apathy.

polonus

[DavidR]

Hi DavidR,

We here are fully aware of the general threat of bundled goodies, PUPs, additional risk-, crap-, junk- and adware.
However the average unaware or disinterested user is eventually trapped as the avoidability of these marketed goodies to gain "cheap money" becomes harder and harder. The truth that freeware is being paid by giving up part of your privacy and by trading your personal data in some form of user contempt is not fully known, we here that deal with such abuse everyday know better, while we see that the balance is more and more slipping out of the users' hands. Worse is that hordes of users do not seem to mind at all and even seem to welcome this state of affairs while merrily clicking on in some form of apathy.

polonus

The problem is that those who could really benefit from this topic aren't reading it as they A) probably don't know of its existence or B) are happy living in bliss (Ignorance is Bliss). Or what you don't know about or understand doesn't do you any harm.

[Lisandro]

The problem is that those who could really benefit from this topic aren't reading it as they A) probably don't know of its existence or B) are happy living in bliss (Ignorance is Bliss). Or what you don't know about or understand doesn't do you any harm.

David and/or Polonus, could you help taking them from ignorance (at least some of them) and write a blog article about this issue?

[bob3160]

Hi DavidR,

We here are fully aware of the general threat of bundled goodies, PUPs, additional risk-, crap-, junk- and adware.
However the average unaware or disinterested user is eventually trapped as the avoidability of these marketed goodies to gain "cheap money" becomes harder and harder. The truth that freeware is being paid by giving up part of your privacy and by trading your personal data in some form of user contempt is not fully known, we here that deal with such abuse everyday know better, while we see that the balance is more and more slipping out of the users' hands. Worse is that hordes of users do not seem to mind at all and even seem to welcome this state of affairs while merrily clicking on in some form of apathy.

polonus

The problem is that those who could really benefit from this topic aren't reading it as they A) probably don't know of its existence or B) are happy living in bliss (Ignorance is Bliss). Or what you don't know about or understand doesn't do you any harm.

Those that attend my Avast sponsored presentations certainly get ot know about this and many other dangers:

Attendees not only learn what to avoid but tools available to make avoidance easier.

[bob3160]

One down - 1000 to go

[polonus]

My dear Avast friends,

Do not forget about ever ongoing click-fraud mal-ad campaigns on the world wide web.
Present mal-ad campaign hits my country, the Netherlands: http://blog.fox-it.com/2015/06/15/large-malvertising-campaign-targeting-the-netherlands/

polonus

P.S. Bob, we know you are wakening up your US user-base,
I hope that the wrinkles in this pond of awareness may grow and grow to wake up others...

D

[polonus]

Chinese websites vulnerable: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSONP#Security_concerns
Watering hole attack to detect the real identity of particular Chinese tor and VPN users:
https://www.alienvault.com/open-threat-exchange/blog/watering-holes-exploiting-jsonp-hijacking-to-track-users-in-china  link article author = Jaime Blasco

polonus