Technical

[lanoitar]

Kopi-san,
U not alone lah. The folks @ hwz also ganna:

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-dr...44765.html

The biggest clue is probably this:
It's affecting diff browsers on diff platforms (both mac/windows also got).

Virus usually not so tokkong can cross platform one... only explanation is the source of problem is at a lower level. My guess is it's your ISP's transparent proxy ganna. U got try use different ISP or connect via a different medium (eg. 3G instead of cable)?

[KopiKat]

Hi KopiKat,

What version of Windows do you use ? Are you using Internet Explorer ?

Windows Vista + IE when I encountered my pop-ups (only when accessing VB forum)
All critical updates are done whenever I get prompted

Do you mind downloading and installing Firefox ? The link is here : http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/
I want to see the result after you use Firefox.

Ouch.. I just removed my Firefox as I was running out of HDD space and plan to do a major house cleaning....

The problem is, when it happens, it's only for a couple of minutes at most. But, next time it happens, I'll try with another browser (I stiall have Google Chrome) and report.

Thx for your time!

---

Kopi-san,
U not alone lah. The folks @ hwz also ganna:

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-dr...44765.html

The biggest clue is probably this:
It's affecting diff browsers on diff platforms (both mac/windows also got).

Virus usually not so tokkong can cross platform one... only explanation is the source of problem is at a lower level. My guess is it's your ISP's transparent proxy ganna. U got try use different ISP or connect via a different medium (eg. 3G instead of cable)?

Thx! I think most others must have been thinking I'd been surfing some porn sites and still dare to complain here...

I believe the pop-up must have come from my anti-Malware (since the screenshot is different from the HWZ ones) when my system was being attacked...

Also hard to replicate problem as it only occurs for only a couple of mins. for me. Will quickly try out on 3G next time also...

A thought that comes to my mind after reading HWZ thread is that could another possibility be the forum - since it's happening to users using different platforms and browsers ie. Forum s/w (any recent upgrading done?) or even the host server?

One possibility that others in VB forum have not encountered may be,

1) It's triggered only for a short period of time (few were logged in)
2) Malware not updated / not turned on - to be KS, better do a scan of your system as you may have been compromised...

[KopiKat]

My problem just refuse to go away...

After posting, got logged out and pop-up appeared,

[Image: 1euszq.jpg]

Have re-logged in using Google Chrome (Don't dare to log in using IE pop up). Don't see same problem here but may not be conclusive as this problem seems to only appear for a very short time for me (when it happens). Also, if you follow HWZ posts, it seems to occur for different browsers.

[cyclone]

I dare to say that your browser, in this case Internet Explorer, has been compromised.

[KopiKat]

I dare to say that your browser, in this case Internet Explorer, has been compromised.

I have my doubts (go read the HWZ forum link posted by 'lanoitar') but will use Google Chrome for VB forum for now to test. Like I posted, the problem cannot be replicated even when it happens. So, it's inconclusive.

At least, in my case, my anti-Malware appears to be working and that's why the pop-up appeared....Not sure about the rest..

[sgd]

try clearing your browser cache.

If you borrowed somebody's computer to use to go internet while you were at some company sometimes they put something called a proxy, before you can go internet you have to key in some credentials with password maybe the company management do this because they feel they need to keep tabs on employees who surf internet all the time at office

[KopiKat]

Kopi-san,
U not alone lah. The folks @ hwz also ganna:

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-dr...44765.html

The biggest clue is probably this:
It's affecting diff browsers on diff platforms (both mac/windows also got).

Virus usually not so tokkong can cross platform one... only explanation is the source of problem is at a lower level. My guess is it's your ISP's transparent proxy ganna. U got try use different ISP or connect via a different medium (eg. 3G instead of cable)?

Just had this popup using iPhone earlier on,
[Image: hrx21c.png]

I 99% sure now problem seems to be coming from this forum...

Using hp to post this as seems to be having intermittent connection problem using NB with both IE n Chrome and only to VB!

[cyclone]

As a reference, seems that many (on Singtel only) get the problem : http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-dr...55009.html , http://malaysia.answers.yahoo.com/questi...717AAfGUHW , http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...G5t7z&cp=3

---

They said if you have firewall, block this ip address 216.18.223.226 to remove the problem.

[sgd]

aiyoh I kena this already lah ..

but ... but ... I also found a temporary solution for this from some other site.

From what I see there is no such site called staging.examiner.com it's just a smokescreen meant to confuse people, so using any popup blockers for browsers will fail. It seems to be a malware, but if you use singtel proxy it seems to go away, but everybody started using singtel proxy (proxy.singtel.com 8080) singtel proxy got overloaded with tens of thousands of surfing request became too much for it to handle in the end nobody can go anywhere so that is also out.

But I found a solution from another forum (a temporary solution)
goto your c:\windows\system32\driver\etc

edit a file called host

add the entry

127.0.0.1 staging.examiner.com

in laymans terms what it does it neutralizes the url to it ownself like a blackhole.

For parents want to restrict your kids surfing to dubious chat sites can also do the same thing (but of course if your kids are smarter then you .... )

127.0.0.1 alamakchat.com
127.0.0.1 sammybodyforums.com
127.0.0.1 sextube.com

[KopiKat]

aiyoh I kena this already lah ..

but ... but ... I also found a temporary solution for this from some other site.

From what I see there is no such site called staging.examiner.com it's just a smokescreen meant to confuse people, so using any popup blockers for browsers will fail. It seems to be a malware, but if you use singtel proxy it seems to go away, but everybody started using singtel proxy (proxy.singtel.com 8080) singtel proxy got overloaded with tens of thousands of surfing request became too much for it to handle in the end nobody can go anywhere so that is also out.

But I found a solution from another forum (a temporary solution)
goto your c:\windows\system32\driver\etc

edit a file called host

add the entry

127.0.0.1 staging.examiner.com

in laymans terms what it does it neutralizes the url to it ownself like a blackhole.

For parents want to restrict your kids surfing to dubious chat sites can also do the same thing (but of course if your kids are smarter then you .... )

127.0.0.1 alamakchat.com
127.0.0.1 sammybodyforums.com
127.0.0.1 sextube.com

Sorry to say this, but I do feel better that someone else in this forum is having the same problem!

I still think it's related to my earlier 2 popups to different sites. Somehow, something must be trying to redirect me to log in to a different site. From the links provided and reading thro' the posts by other affected users for this current popup n the earlier errotica one, it does seem to affect only Singtel users but across all platforms of browsers n even 3G / Broadband. It does appear to happen only when they go to certain sites?

One person mentioned that it's Singtel + accessing sites that are hosted outside Singapore. A clue here?

Now, I'm having a new problem. I can't access VB from my NB using Singtel broadband since last night. At most, an occasional connect for a few seconds. See my error msg,

[Image: eg78rn.jpg]

I think either it's blocked by Singtel or I kena IP banned here...