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  1. #1

    Lemode MGZ Redirect

    Sometimes when I click on threads on DBR I am being redirected to various "health websites" with the web address lemode-mgz.com. This just started happening in the last few days and it doesn't happen every time. The thread will start to load and then I am directed to the new site. I've run a full scan and my anti-virus software returned no threats. Some Google searching revealed that some believe it to be an issue with ads used on this and many other message board sites.

    Has anyone else experienced this? Can some of the more tech savvy folks on here make some suggestions on things I can do to fix it? I'm using Chrome on a Windows laptop if that's relevant and I haven't had issues with any website besides DBR.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    About 150 feet in front of the Duke Chapel doors.
    Quote Originally Posted by kmspeaks View Post
    Sometimes when I click on threads on DBR I am being redirected to various "health websites" with the web address lemode-mgz.com. This just started happening in the last few days and it doesn't happen every time. The thread will start to load and then I am directed to the new site. I've run a full scan and my anti-virus software returned no threats. Some Google searching revealed that some believe it to be an issue with ads used on this and many other message board sites.

    Has anyone else experienced this? Can some of the more tech savvy folks on here make some suggestions on things I can do to fix it? I'm using Chrome on a Windows laptop if that's relevant and I haven't had issues with any website besides DBR.
    I experienced the same problem using Safari on my iMac. Mentioned it to the other moderators. So far, it's been pretty isolated for me.
    JBDuke

    Andre Dawkins: “People ask me if I can still shoot, and I ask them if they can still breathe. That’s kind of the same thing.”

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Washington, DC area
    There is nothing in the DBR Board software that would redirect away from the board under any usual circumstance. And ads don't reach outside of their boxed-in space. If you're being redirected via a thread link, I suspect you have some sort of malware on your machine.

    -jk

  4. #4
    I don't have the same issue with this site, but have a similar one with a Buick automobile enthusiast board.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Forest Hills, NY
    Using IE9 and only got it on the "Enefell" thread.

  6. #6
    Has definitely happened to me several times. Using Firefox here.

  7. #7
    Using Firebug I can see the javascript call to retrieve an ad and then several subsequent script calls ultimately leading to the get of the lemode mgz URL. In other words, it is related to the ad being served up. Since the ads are generated based on cookies tracking user interest, not every user will see the same issue. This is why one browser might work and another might not. Users seeing this issue should delete cookies and see if that resolves the problem. DBR/SBNation should report the issue to their advertising solution.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    It appears that this is a problem originating with AdSense. It's fairly widespread and Google is aware of it and trying to fix it. Since ads are targeted to you based on your search history in the particular browser you're using, terms on the page, current number of sun spots, and a bit of randomness just for good measure, not everyone will see the ads. In fact, it seems like only a select few are seeing it, and even then, only in certain browsers on their machine. Since that pays the bills here, we're not going to turn it off unless it affects many users.

    Everyone should take this as a sign to update your anti-virus software and scan your machine, if you haven't done so recently.

    In the meantime, if you are one of the unlucky few, you may be getting this on multiple sites, not just DBR. What can you do? Here are some possible solutions, YMMV. I haven't seen the offending ad/redirect (but I probably will now that I've searched for solutions to the problem!), so these are all ideas that have worked for some.


    • Try another browser
    • Clear your search history and cookies (I hate having to do that -- selectively delete cookies based on clearly spammy-looking URLs)
    • Try adblock plug-ins for your browser
    • Set your browser(s) to catch warn you about redirects:
      • Firefox: Go to Settings -> Options -> Advanced -> General tab -> Check the box “Warn me when websites try to redirect or reload the page.”
      • Safari: Settings->Preferences->Advanced tab->Change Settings button->Advanced tab->Check the box “Warn Me If the Page Redirects” box.
      • IE Internet Properties ->Advanced tab->Check the box “Warn if POST submital is redirected to a zone..."

  9. #9
    Thank you to all who have followed up. I deleted my cookies and search history as suggested a couple days ago and so far (fingers crossed) the issue has not reappeared.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    The automatic redirect to site listed above happened to me this morning on Chrome. Instantly after clicking on any link within the forum. Very annoying. Tried IE and it didn't happen there. Cleared a week's worth of cookies in Chrome and it hasn't happened to me again in the last 5 minutes.

    Just a heads-up that the issue is still popping up.

    UPDATE: Spoke too soon. Issue still occurring in Chrome
    Coach K on Kyle Singler - "What position does he play? ... He plays winner."

    "Duke is never the underdog" - Quinn Cook

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    New Orleans, Louisiana
    Happened this morning on Chrome on iPhone. (All my other devices have a free ad blocker.) Cleared cache and it seemed to work, only to redirect again as I tried to reply to this thread. Cleared all cookies and site data and have gotten exactly this far.

    Is there an ad blocker for Chrome on iPhone?

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh
    Happened to me repeatedly with Chrome and Bing. Not happening with IE. Yet. Thanks to -jk and devil84 for investigating.
    [redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Quote Originally Posted by tbyers11 View Post
    The automatic redirect to site listed above happened to me this morning on Chrome. Instantly after clicking on any link within the forum. Very annoying. Tried IE and it didn't happen there. Cleared a week's worth of cookies in Chrome and it hasn't happened to me again in the last 5 minutes.

    Just a heads-up that the issue is still popping up.

    UPDATE: Spoke too soon. Issue still occurring in Chrome
    I ran a Symantec Active Scan and it detected a "tracking cookie" that it said it deleted. It has worked fine for me on Chrome since that.
    Coach K on Kyle Singler - "What position does he play? ... He plays winner."

    "Duke is never the underdog" - Quinn Cook

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh
    No specific action on my part this afternoon but this garbage has not re-appeared so I'll give credit/thanks to our DBR IT department.
    [redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    New Bern, NC unless it's a home football game then I'm grilling on Devil's Alley
    Twice this week, including tonight, I have been redirected from DBR threads, each time on a different computer, both times using Chrome. Ran a full suite of scans (I do this for a living), they were clean, so I'm confident the issue is not with my systems. Both times I had to manually click off the "softwareupdater.com" page (or very similar, I didn't stay on them long enough to read the title exactly.).
    Just an FYI to the powers that be. I've only had the issue on DBR.
    Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."

  16. #16
    I am getting redirected from the OT board to the App Store, with a rotating list of apps to download. Using Safari on an iPad. This does not happen anywhere else.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by CameronBornAndBred View Post
    Twice this week, including tonight, I have been redirected from DBR threads, each time on a different computer, both times using Chrome. Ran a full suite of scans (I do this for a living), they were clean, so I'm confident the issue is not with my systems. Both times I had to manually click off the "softwareupdater.com" page (or very similar, I didn't stay on them long enough to read the title exactly.).
    Just an FYI to the powers that be. I've only had the issue on DBR.
    Quote Originally Posted by cato View Post
    I am getting redirected from the OT board to the App Store, with a rotating list of apps to download. Using Safari on an iPad. This does not happen anywhere else.
    These are variants of the original issue, which is a due to ads that are behaving badly. Adsense/Google is aware of the problem. DBR's ads are provided by Adsense and are controlled by SBN.

    I recommend a two-pronged approach:

    1. After scanning your computer (which may not find anything, but most people don't do it often enough, so I'll suggest this first), follow the remaining steps I posted in post #8, above. The last two items in particular can preventa redirect from happening without your consent.
    2. In your favorite search engine, type the exact url or window title in the search, along with the terms "adsense redirect" (without the quotes). You'll likely see multiple sites with info on how to work around the problem.

    Because ads are served up based on the site you are on, your search history, various cookies on your machine, and other parameters specific to your computer and browser, it is nearly impossible to duplicate what any individual user sees (I bet you don't see cycling ads like I do, for example). Some people are seeing them, many are not.

    Follow the recommended steps, above, and see if that helps.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    New Bern, NC unless it's a home football game then I'm grilling on Devil's Alley
    Quote Originally Posted by devil84 View Post
    These are variants of the original issue, which is a due to ads that are behaving badly. Adsense/Google is aware of the problem. DBR's ads are provided by Adsense and are controlled by SBN.

    I recommend a two-pronged approach:

    1. After scanning your computer (which may not find anything, but most people don't do it often enough, so I'll suggest this first), follow the remaining steps I posted in post #8, above. The last two items in particular can preventa redirect from happening without your consent.
    2. In your favorite search engine, type the exact url or window title in the search, along with the terms "adsense redirect" (without the quotes). You'll likely see multiple sites with info on how to work around the problem.

    Because ads are served up based on the site you are on, your search history, various cookies on your machine, and other parameters specific to your computer and browser, it is nearly impossible to duplicate what any individual user sees (I bet you don't see cycling ads like I do, for example). Some people are seeing them, many are not.

    Follow the recommended steps, above, and see if that helps.
    The problem with this redirect is that it is potentially dangerous to your board members computers, which is why hopefully something can be done through work with SBN. It may be an issue with adsense too (or only), but I only get the redirects when trying to reply to a post. The reason that it may be dangerous is that once redirected, it isn't easy to back away to the original DBR page. This is a common way that many of my clients wind up bringing their infected computers to me. Two screen shots from the issue...
    updater.jpg updater1.jpg
    The "softwareupdater.com" page is the page that used to be the DBR post that I was trying to correct.
    I understand that you have laid out instructions to help others, but the fact is that this will ultimately lead to your users becoming infected with a virus if they are unsure what to click, and the majority of folks on DBR are not going to be reading this thread.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Let me clarify some things, as I think there are some misconceptions and misunderstandings.

    The redirects are a malvertising issue (yeah, new word for a new method of scummy behavior). It is a few ads being served up by Adsense (and we can probably look forward to this issue in other advertising servers). It has nothing to do with DBR, SBN, which browser you use, or which operating system you are on. It can affect anyone who gets the ad.

    Because the ads you see are determined by your search and browsing history, each of us will see different ads. Only a lucky few have seen these malvertising ads: we are aware of an estimated 100 ads served up; looking at the daily login statistics, there are over 11,000 members logins since the start of the malvertising on 1/9/15. A very conservative estimate shows about 500,000 ads served since then (I don’t have access to that stat*), so these ads are not common.

    *I don’t have access to the number of ads served. Why? SBN is in charge of the advertising, not DBR. We are (and always have been) in touch with their administrator on the kinds of ads we are seeing. They are aware of our issue. They are also aware that this issue is an Adsense-wide problem. DBR and SBN are all committed to ensuring the safety of our readers.

    Adsense (Google) is working on this problem. I found a very good summary article, which has some good quotes:

    The redirects were platform and browser-agnostic – Windows, Mac, Linux, mobile browsers – they all got redirected. However, while some visitors regularly saw those redirects and even complained that the websites were barely usable because of them, other visitors have never been redirected.

    We scanned these sites but couldn’t find any server-side problems. The nature of the redirects (page loaded and then redirected after a few moments) suggested that those were client-side redirects: either some JavaScript or the meta refresh tag. We couldn’t find anything that would change the HTML and JavaScript code of the site itself, so most likely the redirects originated in third-party scripts, which looked quite plausible since all the websites we worked with run third-party ads.
    This is why not everyone is seeing the problem, and why it is not a DBR, SBN, or other site-specific problem. You may see this on ANY site with Adsense (that’s over 2 million sites). This is also why deleting your history and cookies can prevent you from seeing the ads again, as it wipes out many browsing and searching footprints used by the ad servers, among a lot of other really, really good things that cookies save, like your login status, etc. Generally speaking, if you can pick and choose which cookies to delete, if you don’t recognize the URL at all, you can likely safely delete the cookie and the problem had a good probability of disappearing, yet you still retain the information you want for your usual websites.

    If you Google any malvertising redirect URLs, you will inevitably find lots of threads discussing these redirects. If you are lucky, some technically savvy forum poster has already managed to get a dump of HTTP traffic and find the culprit.

    This time Googling the redirects was especially fruitful. Among various threads and blogposts, we found this thread with 150+ messages on the official Google’s AdSense Help forum which explained the nature and source of the redirects.
    Props to riverside6 for being the tech savvy forum poster that found the culprit.

    Googling the exact redirect URL with the terms “adsense” and “redirect” will return a lot of discussion of the problem. I have personally done this a lot over the last month, and have not found a single suspicious site in the first few pages of search results. Generally speaking, however, DO NOT search for ONLY the redirected URL without the qualifiers as you likely will find yourself with malware.

    Currently this malvertising seems to be limited to redirecting you to scammy sites that, as of right now, seem to want to collect information rather than place malware on your machine. It’s always a good time to scan your machine for viruses, which is why I will always mention that first, though I really don’t think that the presence of these ads means you have malware or will get malware. But be safe, not sorry.

    If you get redirected to something, your best bet is to shut down your browser and restart. CB&B is right that the back button won’t work properly (those scummy sites are pretty smart). You also don’t want to click on ANY buttons on any suspicious site. They are designed to trap you into giving up information or downloading malware or whatever their MO is. Write down the EXACT URL in the browser’s address bar, at least through the first “/” character. Then shut down your browser so you can’t get yourself further down a rabbit hole, then try again. Delete cookies/history. If you aren’t tech savvy, call someone who is. If you are comfortable seeing out legitimate tech sites, Google the URL with the words “adsense redirect” for more information. And scan for viruses (update your virus signature file, too), because it’s probably been a while.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Washington, DC area
    Nice summary, d84.

    Folks, if you ever land on a site you're not expecting - whether from us, a link purportedly sent from a friend, or an oddball google search result, close your browser. Be sure you have solid, updated anti-malware installed. That's surfing 101.

    Bad links have been going on for ages, and are worse than ever.

    Hey, let's be careful out there!

    And: Practice safe computing!

    -jk

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