General Chat

I have been watching the posts about this Trojan with interest.

I know a bit about computers and websites as I run my own e-commerce business.

I thought it was funny that I hadn't had this problem then low and behold up it popped last night when I was browsing the boards, it was blocked by our security software.

It didn't occur to me at the time but it appears that this is a random event as I had visited the boards many times before it happened to me.

In my opinion this may be, because it only happens now and again, that the problem may be linked to one of the adverts that pop up as this is the only thing that changes on this site.

The adverts may well be hosted on a different server to the GR site as they use an agency to place these adverts and they are probably hosted on the advertising agencies server not on GR's and when that particular adverts turn to appear it pops up and it's infected as the adverts change around this could well be the problem

If it happens to anyone else please make a note of what adverts are on the page at the time and inform GR or Errol as he seems to have a dialogue going with GR about the problem, this will help GR sort out the problem.

Please ensure you have up to date anti virus software installed or you will become infected.

Ron
www.genealogyprinters.com

Yes Ron .....Errol came to that when we managed to get the ...pre-pop-up page name .......some where here there is a thread that tells you more about it .......

I,ve nudged up errols ........thread on the advert stuff ........for you Ron ...but there are MORE threads that got very long .....

Errol has been helpping Gr and ...Gr have been listening to him some what ........

i had something appear a couple of times. Once I was told I had 176 infected files and needed to download something. I didn't but I did my own Macaffee scan which said I was fine. Seen nothing since.

I had the same thing happen to me last night too Budgie.

Aileen xxx

I should have come here to find out all about this. I did click the official looking window box.In my defence i had just got the computer repaired after clicking on the latest hotmail virus. As the computer had been repaired i thought he hadn't finished it so like a fool i clicked. I did manage to get rid of it by running the adwear but now i am suffering from naughty pop ups on the odd occasion.
In saying that i now have a problem with this one piece of 'new device hardwear found' cannot seem to get rid of it.
Tina

OK - so it is not just happening on the Boards. I got an email from the site saying I had a message from a member - I clicked on the link to the message and bang, blank screen and something trying to download. Thankfully stopped again by Nortons.

I can't believe this is still going on and GR haven't sorted it. And why are they relying on a member to relay messages back and forth? It's just not on!

GR....PULL YOUR FINGERS OUT

Dave on family tree forum has posted a solution:

http://www.familytreeforum.com/general-discussion/38396-has-anyone-been-gr-today-5.html

Sorry but its not just the GR part of the site its also happening on friend reunited connections and friends reunited

so which ever server is holding these swf files needs cleaning and the swfs replaced with .gif banner ads

Also if you download Mozilla Firefox as your browser instead of IE you can add on the adblocker which blocks any ads on the site.

Ive come on today without the ads flashing on here and no alarm re the trojan site - thank goodness.

Morning Steve!

I see what you're saying but ultimately it is GR's problem isn't it? They are displaying these adverts on their site. Surely it would be common sense to remove all of the adverts and make this site safe for it's members

Hi Heather

I read that over on FTF and I'm sure other members will be grateful for the information. But personally I don't want to change my browser and why should I? Also Dave's fix is far to complicated for a technophobe like me to even contemplate attempting.

GR should be sorting this problem out

Does anybody know what this particular trojan actually does? Apart from being alerted by antivirus and antispyware programs, how would a person be aware that their machine had been infected?

I've just got it after simply opening the front page og genesreunited. It has been happening for the last few days and I get the feeling it was a little more aggresive today, in that closing the 'Warning Malware' window just seemed to re-open the original malware page. This is a really serious security threat to genesreunited users.
Andy

Morning Jeanette

I would think the adds are on a remote server that the IT team have no access to, so it is down to the ad compamy to remove them

but the owners wont want to loose the revenue from the advertisers so we will never have an add free site

also this practice is becoming more and more common on web sites, so its usefull to have another browser other than IE as most of these trojans use an hole in IE to load, firefox is more secure

Sxx

Thanks for the explanation Steve.....but you know what a computer divvy I am....lol...and I am sure there are many more like myself out there who don't want to start fannying about with their pc when they don't know what they're doing.

GR have had at least 4 days to get this sorted....isn't that enough time to contact the ad companies? It's not often I have a whinge at GR but I do think they are taking the proverbial wee wee this time!

Out of intereste I googled malware genesreunited to see if this issue was being discussed on other forums. Not surprisingly it is.

One poster on Rootschat claims he was infected with the Download virus on a visit to GR on 16th January. That is interesting as it predates the spate of attacks which we are all now too aware of.

A number of people said they had the downloader trojan too.

Jeanette, actually mozilla firefox is much better than IE7 and you dont have to change, you can have both on your puter and just choose which one you want to use by clicking on their icon.

I know Daves solution looks techi but in fact I managed it after a bit of fumbling and it really wasnt difficult :)

Can we bear in mind that the GR team are very small, can count them on one hand, and not anywhere near as big as a normal company IT department? They are the same people who deal with all the emails we have flooded them with. Give them time, the solution is not as simple as some people on here think, it will take more than a click on a button to sort it out.