Loading Profile...
Slideshare virus infection simply by clicking slideshow links on site
Lots of folks are getting some kind of unusual virus warning by clicking on links to Slideshare slideshows. This happened to me and has happened in 10-12 other folks I know personally over the past 3-4 days. This does not involved downloading slideshows, but simply by clicking links to slideshows on the Slideshare site, or secrets links to slideshows that are sent to friends.
A warning pops up on folks computers saying their computer has been infected, and people have to shut down in order to keep the warnings from popping up.
I would say about 40 to 50% of the folks who have used Slideshare over the past 2 days that I know have had this issue. Its scary and serious. It sure would be helpful to find out from Slideshare exactly what is going on.
A warning pops up on folks computers saying their computer has been infected, and people have to shut down in order to keep the warnings from popping up.
I would say about 40 to 50% of the folks who have used Slideshare over the past 2 days that I know have had this issue. Its scary and serious. It sure would be helpful to find out from Slideshare exactly what is going on.
3
people have this problem
I have this problem, too!
Tell me when someone solves it.
The more people who report this problem, the more it gets noticed.
The more people who report this problem, the more it gets noticed.
-
Inappropriate?Rob,
We have heard this from some other folks as well since yesterday.
We are looking hard at this. Till now this seems to be random... we cant reproduce this oursleves, how hard we try. As a precaution we have turned off all ads from third party advertisers... throughout the site... only inhouse ads.. we are throughly testing the site to solve this issue.
We would really appreciate if you could let us know (in case you can recall)
- what was the link/ad that you clicked that caused this to happen (what page was it on? OR how did you get to that link?)
- is this happening now as well if you try to browse the site?
- just for our info: which country are you in currently?
Do let us know... your help is really appreciated.
rgds
Amit Ranjan -
Inappropriate?Amit
Just now people on the Oil Drum site
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/5606/5...
were reporting issues with this link
http://www.slideshare.net/ChrisJCook/...
to one of my presentations.
Chris
-
Inappropriate?Hi Amit:
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. It is really appreciated.
Here is what I have heard from others in my circle exploring Slideshare. Hope these additional details will help with the current virus situation:
1)
The problem appears to happen when clicking on legitimate links to slideshows not on ads.
2)
The problem has also happened to folks clicking on legitimate Slideshare links included in emails.
3)
The problem has occurred with folks clicking on secret links to private slideshows that folks wanted a small circle of their friends to review before making public.
4)
The problem seems to occur on a wide variety of slideshows, not just one. Everyone I have heard from who had this happen clicked on a different slideshow link. But they were all legitimate links.
5)
Someone mentioned they thought it might be a scam to collect credit card numbers. Because once it tells you your computer is corrupted, they try to sell you something to fix it. But the sale never goes through. They just collect your information.
I have heard this from two seperate sources.
6)
Someone who did a Norton virus scan on their computer shortly after the popups - the log showed High risk detected the file name was Downloader.Misleadapp
6)
There is some info on Downloader.Misleadapp at:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...
7)
Most people who have done virus sweeps after shutting down their browsers found nothing.
8)
Have heard from folks who received the virus popus when trying to create a slidecast, and when trying to update their profiles. So it seems to be click related and not file related. Almost as if something running in the background responds to random clicks by launching the pop ups.
If anything else comes up, I will get that to you.
Will also post this via Slideshare feeback.
All the best,
Rob -
Inappropriate?Rob,
Thanks for info. We have reproduced it once or twice, but cannot find a pattern to it.
Are you continuing to see the problem?
Rashmi -
Inappropriate?Hi Rashmi:
I think alot of the folks who had it happen to them backed from using the site. I did talk to one person today who had it happen to them a second time. Up until I heard that, it seemed having it happen to you once made you immune to experiencing it again. And then I heard it happened a second time to one person.
What I can try to do is if it continues to happen to collect what ever info I can from the folks and funnel it to you.
Rob -
Inappropriate?FOlks,
This should be solved now. It was a malicious ad - we were able to finally reproduce the problem.
Please let us know if you still see issues. -
Inappropriate?Rob,
After working all weekend we have identified the cause. It was an advertiser who was posing as a legitimate ad agency. We turned off all advertising on the site and then turned them back on one by one until we could pinpoint the problem.
The problem has been fixed ... and we are taking steps to make sure that it's impossible for this to happen again.
Please accept my apologies for this, and let me know if you see (or hear about) anything remotely suspicious.
http://blog.slideshare.net/2009/07/26...
I’m happy
EMPLOYEE
EMPLOYEE
EMPLOYEE
