Firefox Rape: Winfix [Archive]

Kaiser of Arabia

09-26-2005, 23:41

ok, this is the only website that I've been on that causes this problem. Today, every time I even change a freakin page on the org's forums, I get one of them annoying popups that are in the window dialog boxes. This one, however, AUTOMATICALLY TAKES YOUR BROWSER TO A NEW PAGE, near forcing you to download some useless product. I even downloaded and installed the freakin thing to stop this, but it don't work. At all. Every time. It's making posting excrutiatingly painful.

Alexander the Pretty Good

09-27-2005, 01:13

I got that too. Used Ad-Aware, full system scan. Deleted a few cookies that looked unrelated to Winfix, but it seems to have solved the problem.

That was pretty nasty, though. I reccommend setting an anti-spyware and/or ad-ware program on it.

EDIT: uninstall it NOW! And use Internet Explorer (Gah!) for the time being. I did it.

Kaiser of Arabia

09-27-2005, 01:25

It never installed. And the problem seemed to stop. Why?

Alexander the Pretty Good

09-27-2005, 01:51

Damn. That bastard came back - seems like Ad-Aware either only scared it away or I got it back from the forums.

This is real bad. I just did Spy-bot Search and Destroy, with no "winfixer" results.

And now that I reread your post, I see that it didn't install...

I don't know if the problem is stopped, either.

EDIT: I closed than ran Firefox. There was a slight delay before the problems started again. I only went to the forum after the homepage.

HELP!!!

Gawain of Orkeny

09-27-2005, 02:09

Happens to me all the time. I uninstalled firefox but i cant get rid of it. I think its winfix 32. Says infected. Ad ware removes it 4 a while but it comes back everyday.

Kaiser of Arabia

09-27-2005, 02:24

Happens randomly now. It's RAPE I tell you, RAPE of the Firefox. We must solve this.
*racks brain*

Papewaio

09-27-2005, 03:44

Go to microsoft and download the beta version of the MS antispyware... works like a scouring pad... harsh but gets virtually every spy program.

Gregoshi

09-27-2005, 03:47

I just got it too but I was using IE 6.0. This is a nasty bugger. Even when you click on the "no" or "cancel" buttons it acts as if you clicked "ok". Funny though, this is the first time such a thing has happened to me. I always have a popup blocker on and I see popups here at the Org only a few time a year, so this bad boy was rather startling. I'm rather aggitated about it at the moment.

Mouzafphaerre

09-27-2005, 03:55

.
Use Mozilla proper people. Firefox has more flaws than it reveals at first sight. I'm yet to understand why developers of the best browser feel the need to make a side product imitating the worst one.
.

L`zard

09-27-2005, 04:14

Double layered defenses will also help.

Not just a spyware cleaner, use a registry-monitor and/or cleaner.

Lots of spiders in the registry woodpile, lol!

Needless to say, freeware and tryware proggies won't cure all your problems, eh?

Somewhere in this, if you wan't the security, your gonna have to pay for it.

Otherwise, get 'REALLY' used to manual dis-installing items from your registry.

You have a choice.

Proletariat

09-27-2005, 17:08

G*& d%$#. Me too.

TosaInu

09-27-2005, 17:25

I'm using I.E. 6 today and haven't seen anything except the popup about some poll once. What product? I've to tell this to the host if it has to be fixed and the contact is a proxy regarding this too.

Mikeus Caesar

09-27-2005, 18:11

Is this problem just for FF users, or everyone?

Big_John

09-27-2005, 18:16

huh? i've never had this problem. i'm adblocking a few things, though.

Gregoshi

09-27-2005, 18:18

TosaInu

09-27-2005, 18:23

Bah, what a pesky bugger. You got the same one Kaiser of Arabia?

Does it show as pop-up?

Proletariat

09-27-2005, 18:43

You asked KoA, but fwiw, that is the same one I'm getting with FF. Actually, it was just once today but I s'pose it means I'm already screwed.

I'm pretty much convinced at this point that the only real cure for all spy-ware/adware/trojans is a lead pipe.

Gregoshi

09-27-2005, 18:44

Tosa, as I recall from the "popup" event, it shrunk my IE browser window to about 1/8th or 1/10th my screen size and stuck it in the lower right of my screen with some kind of warning/error screen to convince you you need Winfixer 2005. In the middle of the screen was "install Winfixer" window which won't take "don't install" for an answer.~:) Basically, it wasn't just a popup, it was a hijack too.

Big King Sanctaphrax

09-27-2005, 18:47

Is the .Org somehow infected with this then, and giving it to our patrons?

If so, I vote we have Tosa hack their site. I bet he's got 133t 5k1ll7 we've never seen.

Dutch_guy

09-27-2005, 18:58

I don't have it yet , so I don't think the Org is infected , otherwise lot's of people should have it right ?

And also I'm not using FF.

And I second using Ad-ware and Spybot, make sure you use it with internet off and it might even help turning off all the internet connections you have running at the moment.
Defragging and then check for ad / spy ware should also be considered , be sure to update your Ad-ware / spybot S&D.

:balloon2:

Proletariat

09-27-2005, 19:04

Arg! Now I get it with every click on the Org.

Tried hitting X... Takes me to their site.

Tried hitting cancel... Pops back open.

Crazed Rabbit

09-27-2005, 19:09

Use Mozilla proper people. Firefox has more flaws than it reveals at first sight. I'm yet to understand why developers of the best browser feel the need to make a side product imitating the worst one.

So mozilla is different from Firefox? How?

Oh, I got this little bugger of a pop up and ad-aware'd and hijack-this'd it into oblivion. For now, at least.

Crazed Rabbit

Dutch_guy

09-27-2005, 19:14

try this link for help , this guy had the same bug / virus/ problem , and managed to get it off his system:

http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-6132-0.html?forumID=32&threadID=116302&messageID=1397473

:balloon2:

TosaInu

09-27-2005, 19:16

It's weird indeed. Maybe it's country specific advertising?

I recall we had a ringtone pop-up at the frontpage that only bugged UK members (the frontpage had some old banner exchange code, likely of the type that promises heaven to lure you in and then bombs you with adds). But the forum has nothing but the required official UGO banner, that yields only some survey pop-ups at times.

Maybe it's something you picked up from the internet that bugs your most recent/frequently used site only on your computer? But I'll certainly report this to the host.

Kaiser of Arabia

09-27-2005, 20:23

Bah, what a pesky bugger. You got the same one Kaiser of Arabia?

Does it show as pop-up?
Yeah. Hasn't hit me today yet, THANK GOD. I doubt it will last though.

If worst comes to truley worse, my one friend is the greatest hacker on this side of the Mississippi. He once crashed our school district's network ~D . I'll have him take a look a bit later on to see what he can do, if the problem persists for much longer.

Gah. Head soup. Gah.

edyzmedieval

09-27-2005, 21:43

I told you last week about this.

You didn't pay attention to my warning.

Mikeus Caesar

09-27-2005, 21:50

Tosa, here's the link to the obnoxious product: Winfixer 2005 (http://www.winfixer.com/pages/scanner/index.php?aid=wh1_ed2&lid=in&ex=1&p=&ax=1).

Careful with this link, it is persistent that you install their product even if you initially click "don't install".

Don't EVER do that again! I'm the sort of idiot who goes and clicks on the link, finds the horror on the other side, faffs about for 2 minutes panicking, and then reads the note underneath saying 'be careful'. In future, put the 'be careful' notice above the link for the idiots among us, all one of them.

sharrukin

09-27-2005, 23:24

I have Firefox and only use the Kerio firewall, and so far haven't run into this. Does it not effect Internet Explorer?

Gregoshi

09-27-2005, 23:48

Sorry about that Mikeus.:embarassed:

Alexander the Pretty Good

09-28-2005, 00:01

Weird. I shut down my laptop last night. This afternoon I booted it up, and didn't use Firefox for a while. Then I decided to give FF one more shot - and so far, after a while (over an hour?) I've avoided that thing.

I may switch to Mozilla proper, though. That was ugly.

And this post is probably too soon. ~:handball:

Alexander the Pretty Good

09-28-2005, 00:13

Naturally, 10 minutes after I post that, it comes back.

Kekvit Irae

09-28-2005, 00:25

I got it too, and I'm running IE. The only reason why I allow popups on this site is because of the stupid PM system.

Papewaio

09-28-2005, 02:36

You can allow individual popups, or just login to the private message area...

Kaiser of Arabia

09-28-2005, 03:07

I don't allow popups, but I still get this. I dunno where to get mozilla proper, i heard you have to pay for it, which I am NOT going to do.

I just beat back the attacks for now. I had to stay off the org for maybe 10 minutes. That seems to delay it a bit.

I'm having my friend look into hacking their site. Seriously. They must die!

FOR THE FATHERCOMPTUER!

AggonyKing

09-28-2005, 03:17

Gah, it really bugs, I can't be 10 seconds with out it coming out

here's a pic https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/f.jpg

it acts just as if was part of firefox

Alexander the Pretty Good

09-28-2005, 03:51

Kaiser, that's illegal.

Bust some kneecaps instead.

And Mozilla (http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/) is completely free, and is more powerful, and has more stuff.

I just uninstalled firefox to get Mozilla. Problem (at least temporarily) solved.

I still want to axe-murder Winfixer, though. If I find that SOB...

Ghost of Rom

09-28-2005, 04:34

Handy tip:
If you get a popup and dont want to click anywhere on it to close it:
alt-f4 will close the active window. Or task manager can kill the application/process.

Productivity

09-28-2005, 04:41

I told you last week about this.

You didn't pay attention to my warning.

No you didn't. You gave a vague offering that you get spyware, with no further information offered. If you wanted people to take you seriously the first time maybe you should have tried to be helpful instead of coming back and trying to look smug.

Mouzafphaerre

09-28-2005, 11:17

So mozilla is different from Firefox? How?

Oh, I got this little bugger of a pop up and ad-aware'd and hijack-this'd it into oblivion. For now, at least.

Crazed Rabbit
.
The engine is the same; for the rest they are different animals. I use Mo as my main browser and FF for some extra browsing...you know. ~;)
.

Mouzafphaerre

09-28-2005, 11:19

kayapó

09-28-2005, 14:54

Winfixer is malware. Do a google search to find the Winfixer removal. It is quite annoying as it keeps coming back if you try to remove by hand.

It is not a normal popup and it has nothing to do with Firefox.

I've been doing some Googling, and it looks like this Winfixer thing is a nasty piece of work. Definitely adware, and from what I can see it's unusually hard to remove. It's also apparently been tarnishing the good name of the unrelated spyware-removal program Winfix (http://www.winfix.com/).
This site (http://www.spyware-removal-guideline.com/winfixer-removal) contains detailed instructions for removal.

Xiahou

09-28-2005, 19:17

I got it last night too. I assumed it was a particularly shameful popup advertisement, since it only happened on this site- like that 'fastclick' garbage or whatever it is....

For a temporary fix, I pinged their website to get it's IP and then did a ROUTE ADD command, directing traffic to a non-existant IP. It seemed to work. ~;)