Stopping the random popups on TRIBE (and other sites) that attempt to download flash players

[alexd]

A few people have been getting these popups here which automatically download a flash player. These popups are not coming from TRIBE but rather from malware on your own computers that is being triggered by flash video that may be playing on TRIBE in ads or posted content.

I have been testing TRIBE with 3 different computers, and only one seems to get these popups.

I have found a few sites that talk about the malware and how it gets on your computer in the first place, and it seems it comes bundled with programs, codecs, video players and other files you have downloaded from torrents or via freeware sites like download.com or cnet.

It it a tricky thing to get rid of, but I have found instructions to get rid of it here:

Remove Fra1.ib.adnxs.com popups - FixYourBrowser.com

 

[alexd]

Here is another site with similar instructions on how to get rid of it:

Remove Fra1.ib.adnxs.com pop-up virus (Removal Guide) | PC Infected

 

[alexd]

I have spent most of the day researching this adnxs virus and it appears that in addition to being bundled with freeware, it was also being spread via driveby infections through facebook ads.

It is very tough to remove, and most antivirus software cannot even see it yet, even though it has been around since last summer. An estimated 45,000,000 desktops, laptops, and phones are infected with the adnxs virus in the US alone!

From my reading of support threads in various communities, it also infects Apple products and Android devices.

 

[Polymorph]

Here is another site with similar instructions on how to get rid of it:

Remove Fra1.ib.adnxs.com pop-up virus (Removal Guide) | PC Infected

THANKS! I ran those adware and junkware removal tools, and they worked just great! Exactly what I was looking for/needed! Gave me at least 5 gigs back on my laptop as well! Machine is running like a smooth demon right now. Boyeaaa

 

[alexd]

I a still having a hard time getting this crap off my Vista desktop. I have spent hours and hours at it to no avail. It seems to hide and re-install every time I reboot. I thought it might have been in system restore but it ain't there either.

 

[JamesM]

I wouldn't worry too much about it, Alex. It's annoying, but it seems like this is the new age of hackery. I'm pissed, but I can live with it. For now...

 

[Bass-Invader]

I ran a scan, had nothing.

It looks like the infection vector is through certain ads, which brings you to a download page, but doesn't infect you unless you run whatever it downloads.

If you do run it, then the shit won't leave you alone irrespective of the ads and you'll need to clean it off first.

I haven't seen it pop up on this site since alexd did something after I mentioned it in the nobody cares thread. So perhaps the first case (infection vector) is taken care of.

 

[alexd]

Other things you can do to improve your safety when browsing sites like facebook that could contain drive-by malware or if you download torrents is:

1) Uninstall any and all versions of Java from your computer.

2) in Chrome go to your plugins folder chrome://plugins and remove all plugins except essential ones. Especially remove plugins that do not apply to chrome but seem to be for another browser - I found plugs for Netscape in my chrome plugins folder so I deleted those.

3) In firefox or exploder, delete any plugins you don't recognize or use frequently.