Microsoft Says It Has Resolved an Issue With Bing Which Was Causing It To Push Malware When Users Searched for Chrome (howtogeek.com)

Chris Hoffman, writing for How To Geek: You launch Edge on your new PC, search for "download Chrome," and click the first result headed to "google.com" on Bing. You're now on a phishing website pushing malware, disguised to look like the Chrome download page. That's the story Gabriel Landau tells on Twitter. We were able to reproduce this problem, although it doesn't happen every time. Usually, you'll end up seeing an ad for "https://www.google.com". That goes to the real Chrome download page, and everything is fine. But, sometimes, you'll see an ad for "google.com". Guess what -- that doesn't actually go to Google.com. This ad was created by a scammer and goes elsewhere. Microsoft is apparently not verifying the web address the advertisement actually goes to. Bing is letting this advertisement to lie to people. Microsoft says it has resolved the issue.

Comments

bing it

[Anonymous Coward]

Now if they would FIRST fix the issue where it gives you chrome while searching for malware.

/. to end censorship style 'scoring'?

[Anonymous Coward]

fair & equal freedom of discourse is right up there with thou shalt not turn a blind eye in our list of civilized liberties?

Re:/. to end censorship style 'scoring'?

[Anonymous Coward]

fair & equal freedom of discourse is right up there with thou shalt not turn a blind eye in our list of civilized liberties?

Another butt-hurt libertarian who's upset that the free market isn't working in his favor.

Suuure...

[Anonymous Coward]

Once upon a time they would have called that a 'feature'

PUSH IT! PUSHI IT REAL GOOD!

[Anonymous Coward]

Trump. Will. Kill. Us. All.

missed opportunity

[Anonymous Coward]

This story submission is incomplete without a link to the story on Forbes.

(Probably) no underhandedness here

[hcs_$reboot]

Reading the title, my first thought was "fix the issue.. sure!". But it's actually not unlikely that Bing, being much less involved in Chrome than Google..., might render search results not in a way the user expects. Morale of the story: don't always click the first result - or at least check it!

Re:(Probably) no underhandedness here

[phantomfive]

I just checked......now the first search result links to spyware :)

Re: (Probably) no underhandedness here

[houghi]

Sure,but many people have been conditioned to use google.com or bing.com as their place to see other websites. I have seen people typing google.com in the default bing.com page, so they can enter the URL in google for our OWN website.
I wish I was kidding.

Edge has replaced Internet Explorer

[jfdavis668]

As the best web browser to use to download a better web browser.

Re:Edge has replaced Internet Explorer

[mark-t]

Edge is, to be fair, is actually pretty decent, at least as far web browsers go. In terms of standards compliance, it's actually even currently ahead of Firefox (albeit by the smallest measurable amount... and Firefox will likely leapfrog ahead of Edge by a point or two in the next version). Only two browsers are seriously ahead of Edge in terms of standards compliance: Opera and Chrome, and at the rate things Edge has been improving, it may even be a serious competitor with those two leaders by sometime in the coming year.

Re:Edge has replaced Internet Explorer

[laffer1]

Edge is decent at rendering web pages. However, a few misconfigured network settings and it can't even load pages on some networks. If you allow "discovery" on networks behind pfsense, it can't work properly.

The other issue is that it has far less ad-ons than Firefox or chrome.

Finally, Opera is Chromium. Chrome is Chromium. They are the same browser with a different UI. It's all blink.

Re:Edge has replaced Internet Explorer

[Anonymous Coward]

does Edge have any type of ad blocking?

Re:Edge has replaced Internet Explorer

[mark-t]

Apparently, yes

Re:PUSH IT! PUSHI IT REAL GOOD!

[Anonymous Coward]

good

So MS finally admits it?

[El Cubano]

Microsoft Says It Has Resolved an Issue With Bing Which Was Causing It To Push Malware When Users Searched for Chrome (emphasis added)

Glad to see MS finally admitting the true nature of Edge.

You know, after all, that the first step on the road to recovery is admitting you have a problem.

Re:So MS finally admits it?

[CeasedCaring]

You mean this? https://i.redd.it/hlfo7oahjvrz...

Re:So MS finally admits it?

[Brett Buck]

Yes, and I wonder what "fixed" means in this context - fixed to load worse malware, faster and/or more invisibly?

not sure...

[Anonymous Coward]

What is a Bing?

Re:not sure...

[Anonymous Coward]

the evil twin of a Bong?

Re:not sure...

[Anonymous Coward]

Wasn't he a character on Friends?

Re:not sure...

[Anonymous Coward]

No, you are thinking of binge. You binge on the bong. For a real good time.

I am not sure if this helped MS or not.

[jellomizer]

Sure Microsoft is in competition with Google for both its Search Engine and its browser. But having Bing go to a Malware site, which infects your Windows PC. Makes Windows, Edge, and Bing all look bad, as well as Microsoft for trying to be underhanded.

With all the attention to prevent Google Chrome from taking more Edge share away I would expect Bings relationship with searching for a Google Product should be tightly controlled and managed, and mostly in a way to insure fairness and get good sets of data. I would expect the #1 result would be from Microsoft Telling you why Edge is So much better then chrome. But as #2 it should be googles download.

Re:I am not sure if this helped MS or not.

[Anonymous Coward]

And, of course, there is the issue about how Windows is so easy to infect with malware in the first place...

Re:I am not sure if this helped MS or not.

[jellomizer]

Well Linux, Mac, Unix... Can be just as easy to get Malware installed as well. Just as long as you have the ability to download data and make it executable you are open. Tools like Apt-get, and App Store, Microsoft Store, Google Play.... Give you a safe repository, but it also comes with baggage of being nice to the host OS, so competing products may get left out, or advanced features that could allow additional damage are blocked.

Re:I am not sure if this helped MS or not.

[Tablizer]

Microsoft for trying to be underhanded.

Are you implying MS did it on purpose? More likely, they'd be guilty of not bothering to "get around to" fixing it even if they knew there was a problem.

I've seen a lot of cases of MS seeming to neglect products, including compatibility with older versions of their own stuff, if they wanted it to just go away.

Re:I am not sure if this helped MS or not.

[Vlad_the_Inhaler]

I helped a friend set up her brand new machine at a time when Windows 8.1 was current. We downloaded Firefox using Internet Explorer and the free 1-Month copy of McAfee started screaming. It was right - we had been directed to a malware-infested version of Firefox.
A day or so later she installed a second virus scanner without removing McAfee and the system ended up reverting to a previous snapshot - before all of our installs - because it could not handle that any other way. Sigh.

Re:I am not sure if this helped MS or not.

[Anonymous Coward]

Also, you must have the correct processor type and also the same version of the libc that the malware was compiled for.
Also you probably need root privilege and a few dependecies which may include some kconfigs.
then you copy the code below and voila, you're now infected if you use GNOME 3.06~3.18.

Re:I am not sure if this helped MS or not.

[Anonymous Coward]

MS already tried to interrupt and prevent Chrome installations, so replacing Chrome with malware would just be a natural next step on their level of operation.

Re:I am not sure if this helped MS or not.

[Anonymous Coward]

No #1 should be a link to what i was searching for it is a search engine not an advertising engine. It is why I don't use Edge or Windows.

Re:I am not sure if this helped MS or not.

[Tablizer]

I honestly don't think MS would stoop that low. But discovering that spammers/hackers hijacked the Bing rankings using bogus sites and links, and MS choosing to conveniently ignore the problem *is* something MS would typically do. They get most their cake without the guilt. Why do active sabotage when you can use passive sabotage that gets the same results with much less legal risk?

" Bing is letting this advertisement lie people."

[mark-t]

#badtransitiveverbs

(facepalm)

Oops, wrong malware

[Powercntrl]

With all the crap it sends back to Google, Chrome almost qualifies as malware.

Re:Oops, wrong malware

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, people do say that Edge is the best browser to use for downloading Chrome. It turns out that Edge is the best browser for downloading all sorts of malware, so that makes sense.

Re:Oops, wrong malware

[Anonymous Coward]

Malware: "software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning".

No, chrome doesn't almost qualify. You not liking something doesn't make it malware.

Re:Oops, wrong malware

[Anonymous Coward]

Chrome & UBlock Origin is for when Brave doesn't work.

Re:Oops, wrong malware

[Anonymous Coward]

""software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning" = Not actually the definition of malware, in fact. Your computer can function 100% normally while your data is exfiltrated, like Chrome allows for, you moronic apologist.

Re:Oops, wrong malware

[Anonymous Coward]

He obviously is thinking of spyware. Which it might qualify as.

Re:Oops, wrong malware

[Anonymous Coward]

3 glaring problems with your post:

No, chrome doesn't almost qualify.

Why not? With such a strong and counter-intuitive assertion you should at least try to justify it or explain what you mean.

You not liking something doesn't make it malware.

Nowhere did GP make that claim. In fact...

You not liking something

You are basing your entire reasoning on the assumption that GP started off not liking Chrome and imagines almost-malware behaviour because of that, which would be... bizarre. A more plausible scenario would be the exact opposite, where the offending behaviour is the sole or main cause for any dislike.

It STILL pushes malware

[Anonymous Coward]

It now directs you to the google chrome download page

Re:PUSH IT! PUSHI IT REAL GOOD!

[Anonymous Coward]

Trump. Will. Kill. Us. All.

And he's done it every week for the past two years!

(yeah, this is probably over the head of any TDS-addled "progressive"...)

Re:" Bing is letting this advertisement lie people

[Anonymous Coward]

I find it amazing how much something like that minor typo derails your natural reading flow. Your brain just stops with a "wut?" and you have to skip back and re-do

What? Chrome *isn't* malware?

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey, it just sends your browsing history to totalitarian governments.

Even Microsoft at their worst "embrace, extend, extinguish" Ballmer-in-a-gorilla-suit-with-an-American-Tourister worst never sold out to actually aid a totalitarian government with the blood of literally millions on their hands:

According to government statistics, there were 15 million excess deaths in this period. Unofficial estimates vary, but scholars have estimated the number of famine victims to be between 20 and 43 million.

Go for that evil, Google.

I never thought it would be possible for a company to make me cheer for Microsoft. But damn if Google didn't become evil enough.

Re:" Bing is letting this advertisement lie people

[tsqr]

#badtransitiveverbs

(facepalm)

...or maybe it's just bad punctuation: "Bing is letting this advertisement lie, people!

The only thing Edge is good for...

[GeLeTo]

... is downloading Chrome. Oh, wait...

Re:The only thing Edge is good for...

[AndrewFlagg]

that's hilarious. reminds me of IE 3 to download NN 4.5 /// Mosaic stand back. ;-) haha ... poor Pegasus no more.. i miss the ole days...

Re:The only thing Edge is good for...

[leathered]

Windows has wget now, so you don't even have to use Edge or IE.

Re:The only thing Edge is good for...

[Anonymous Coward]

I used ftp.exe.
Mozilla said, don't use our ftp site!, but by that I guess they mean don't link to it on a high traffic site or don't download 1000 times from it in close order, so it's ok. Otherwise I download from another computer and put it on USB stick.

They mean it pushed Edge?

[gweihir]

Makes sense.

and the MS voteing system just move DEM to GOP

[Anonymous Coward]

and the MS voting system just move DEM votes to GOP votes as well.

APK & hosts files to the rescue (yet again)

[Anonymous Coward]

0.0.0.0 googleonline2018.com

(That'll STOP the redirect to bogus Chrome - no "1st" really: Lookup EFast (bogus chrome doppleganger malware - the PRICE of opening your code up to others was this which IS why I don't do mine that way (after threats from /. trolls they'd do that to my hosts program)).

* SOURCE https://www.howtogeek.com/fyi/...

APK

P.S.=> "It's working: Neville... it's working!" See subject & results from the past month https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... & https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... & https://search.slashdot.org/co... that's only recently while I've been on Linux (few months now only) & 100's of times vs. MANY other botnets/malwares etc. in the past circa 2006-early 2018 while I was on Windows: CONCRETE VISIBLE UNDENIABLE REALITY (see those links as proof & only PARTIAL (what /. reported - there were FAR more in that timeframe))... apk

Re:APK & hosts files to the rescue (yet again)

[Anonymous Coward]

SPH

Re:What? Chrome *isn't* malware?

[Anonymous Coward]

Let's add up Korea, Vietnam, Iraq (twice). Oops we're already at six millions dead at the hand of the US government. Things get more interesting if we're allowed to add every little thing like the Iran-Iraq war or high estimates for any crap that went on.

Redirect?

[Luthair]

I wonder what actually allows the ad to claim to be www.google.com? Does Google have an open redirect URL somewhere? Is not specifying the final host a legitimate usage for an ad?

Re:Redirect?

[Quince alPillan]

You can have different link text than the url it goes to. For example, you can have a link like this: Google.com In other words, someone put in an advertisement that looked like the actual Google advertisement, but changed the URL to their malware site set up to look like Google's.

Re:Redirect?

[Anonymous Coward]

So if you have money to throw around, you can buy ads to goatse.

For the BEST possible hosts file?

[Anonymous Coward]

See subject: Via APK Hosts File Engine 2.0++ 64-bit for Linux/BSD h t t p : / / a p k . i t - m a t e . c o . u k / A P K H o s t s F i l e E n g i n e F o r L i n u x . z i p

Yields more security/speed/reliability/anonymity vs. any 1 solution (99% of threats use hostnames vs. IP address most firewalls use) more efficiently/FASTER + NATIVELY 4 less!

Vs. "Bolt on 'MoAr' illogic-logic" slowing you hosts speed u up 2 ways: Adblocks + Hardcode fav. sites u spend most time @ vs. competition loaded w/ security bugs (DNS/AntiVir) + overheads slowing u (messagepass 'souled-out' to advertisers easily detected & blocked addons + firewall filtering drivers) & their complexity leads to exploitation!

* ONLY 1 of its kind in GUI 4 Linux/BSD!

(Better vs. Windows model in speed/efficiency/merge)

APK

P.S.=> Protects vs. script trackers/ads/DNS request tracking + redirect poisoned or downed DNS/botnets/malware downloads/malcript/email malicious payloads... apk

Slashdot ia doing it too

[Anonymous Coward]

Visiting slashdot.org on my phone resulted in Chrome blocking 7 popups. One got through when I clicked on the story. Companies simply don't police their ads. It is shameful.

Security pros etc. QUOTED on hosts

[Anonymous Coward]

"classic Windows hosts trick to block the Coinhive or Crypto-Loot domains" - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/a-new-player-joins-coinhive-on-the-browser-cryptojacking-scene/ - BLEEPING COMPUTER

ZD NET http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-use-a-hosts-file-to-improve-your-internet-experience/ "Hosts files really shine by letting you block ads, spyware sites, malware sites, & tracking sites"

SANS ("A related approach to the DNS issue is to create a hosts file on each system that sends requests for spyware to some place else" hosts by myself & RAMU right @ START of "malware explosion" mid 2005 on) https://isc.sans.edu/forums/di...

Aryeh Goretsky/ESET/NOD32: hosts = good security https://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=7442373&cid=49747129/

Oliver Day (SYMANTEC/SECURITYFOCUS) http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/491/

Spybot S&D uses hosts.

APK

P.S.=> Malwarebytes' hpHosts hosts & RECOMMENDS my program forum.hosts-file.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4290

Registered /.ers reviews #1/5

[Anonymous Coward]

Your software is just fine - well written, functional... I'm going to continue using the Host File Engine by mmell February 17, 2017

Your premise that hostfiles are a good way to deal with advertising and malvertising is quite valid - by JazzLad April 20, 2016

his hosts program is actually pretty good by xenotransplant August 10 2015

his hosts tool is actually useful for those cases in which one does indeed want to locally block stuff outright while consuming minimum system resources by alexgieg September 25 2015

I like your host file system by Karmashock September 09 2015

that APK guy, I use his host file by rogoshen1 Tuesday March 03, 2015

I personally use a HOSTS file blocker produced from a genius called APK by 110010001000 October 27 2017

* For the Win32/64 model...

APK

P.S.=> Linux model's faster/more efficient/better MERGE feature too - More coming... apk

Re:Registered /.ers reviews #1/5

[Anonymous Coward]

Your software is just crap - written in crayon, fictional... I'm going to continue using the Host File Engine as a punchline to a joke by mmell February 17, 2017

Your premise that hostfiles are a good way to deal with advertising and malvertising is fucking insane - by JazzLad April 20, 2016

his hosts "program" is actually a broken batch file by xenotransplant August 10 2015

his hosts tool is actually useful for those cases in which one does indeed want to be a laughingstock while consuming excessive amounts of alcohol by alexgieg September 25 2015

I do use APK's host file in all my memes at home by OrangeTide December 01 2017

I've never tried to belittle (APK's work), I've flat out said it's crap - by BronsCon (927697)

I like your tinfoil hat by Karmashock September 09 2015

that APK nut, I can't get him to stop talking about his piece of shit file by rogoshen1 Tuesday March 03, 2015

I personally never would use a HOSTS file blocker produced from a retard called APK by 110010001000 October 27 2017

APK

P.S.=> When YOU do better than THAT by our /. registered peers, then talk (from behind your FAKE NAME for your FAKE LIE of a "so-called" WASTED life) - ok? apk

Registered /.ers reviews #2/5

[Anonymous Coward]

Apk has the answer for that - really... kill automatic updates by adding a hosts file entry setting updates.steam.com or whatever to 127.0.0.1. You have to find the right hostname for each software you want to block updates on by raymorris (2726007) on Friday July 06, 2018

APK your posts on this and the hosts file posts, and more, have never been in error and/or bad advice by BlueStrat (756137) on Wednesday June 21, 2017

I support APK's stand on the hosts file and can't see why it's not used more than it is. My hosts file is 144247 lines long (4,332 Kb) it & a firewall serves me very well - by Trax3001BBS (2368736)

ABP is insufficient as a solid hosts file does everything APK reminds us about fast turtle September 17 2013

You need APK's hosts file - by Teun (17872) on Wednesday August 06, 2014

* For the Win32/64 model...

APK

P.S.=> Linux model's faster/more efficient + BETTER merge feature - More coming... apk

Registered /.ers reviews #3/5

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, APK is totally right on this count. Adblock Plus on Firefox mobile is a dog on older, or lower end, phones. A hostfile based adblocker makes for a much better experience in this context. Of course, your phone has to be rooted, which isn't the case with Firefox + adblock." - by chihowa on Saturday May 16, 2015

APK solution STILL relevant Thud457 June 11 2015

In a footnote, I would like to note that I find your hosts file admirable - by vel-ex-tech (4337079) on Tuesday November 24, 2015

APK's monolithic hosts file is looking pretty good at the moment - by Culture20 on Thursday November 17

you're right about hosts files - by drinkypoo (153816) on Thursday May 26

APK, I know people give you a lot of shit regarding hosts, but please don't ever stop - by nasredin (958927) on Friday June 12, 2015 @03:34PM

* For the Win32/64 model...

APK

P.S.=> Linux model's faster/more efficient + BETTER merge feature - More coming... apk

Ads are a Virus.

[Deathlizard]

It's 2018. This crap has been going on for almost 8 years now. And it's not just Bing. Just about every search engine with ads has or has had this problem.

If it's a popular app, and your search engine has ads. Guaranteed there's a Virus Inc. buying adwords for it.

1) If someone is buying Adwords for any app, and it's NOT the company or group that maintains the software, ban it.
2) If you can't verify #1, don't allow it until you can.
3) It if sounds or feels shady in any way, don't allow it.
4) If it's going to a aggregate site not directly affiliated to the company, ban it.
5) If ANYONE auto redirects from the Adword link in any way. Legit or not. even after a minute. ban it.
6) Every dropper malware I see only drops a payload once. If you see one drop. Ban it. In fact ban every ad with that domain for at least a month or more. Preferably for life.
7) Since you're monitoring every click anyway, browse the link when it's clicked every time and make sure they are getting a clean page. If at any time, you're being redirected because it sees the traffic coming from you or the script is actually stupid enough to drop malware to your IP, ban it.
8) Better yet, enforce and serve the complete ad site yourself and pull it cloudflare style. Check any links or files clicked or downloaded from the site. Guaranteed your IP's / crawlers are blacklisted so that a malware payload won't drop if you pull it. Best case is that it never drops a payload cause you're pulling it and sending it to the user. Worse case is it drops malware on your pull request, at that point, show the user the "Site has a problem" page and ban it.

Registered /.ers reviews #4/5

[Anonymous Coward]

APK is kinda right... I've given up on JS based adblocking and gone to blackholing in /etc/hosts, just like it was back in the 90s. The computational load has gotten intolerable for any ad-blocking using JS. I've tried his hosts file generating software. It works. - by bmo (77928) on Thursday October 15, 2015

get around to 'installing' a hosts file list, not sure which one, likely the one from someonewhocares.org. If it works as well as what I used for a while about ten years ago, I'll be happy. And grateful to APK for the lesson and the reminder. - by kermidge (2221646) on Wednesday March 27

I actually went and downloaded a 16k line hosts file and started using that after seeing that post, you know just for trying it out. some sites load up faster. - by gl4ss (559668) on Thursday November 17

dammit MS, you proved APK right about something by lgw

* For the Win32/64 model...

APK

P.S.=> Linux model's faster/more efficient + BETTER merge feature - More coming... apk

Registered /.ers reviews #5/5

[Anonymous Coward]

(APK) is still right a hosts file really does work. It even blocked a some of the video ads that were inserted into a stream OrangeTide February 10 2016

the Host File Engine performs exactly as promised - by mmell (832646) on Thursday February 16, 2017

I do use APK's host file on all my systems at home by OrangeTide December 01 2017

I've never tried to belittle (APK's work), I've flat out said it's good - by BronsCon (927697) on Thursday February 11, 2016 @06:48PM (#51491263)

(Toss on 100,000++ users worldwide too!)

* For the Win32/64 model...

APK

P.S.=> Linux model's faster/more efficient + BETTER merge feature... apk

Even CHINA copied me (vs. DNS down/redirected)

[Anonymous Coward]

Who did it 1st: China or me? I did - dates are my proof theregister.co.uk/2017/04/26/boffins_supercharge_the_hosts_file_to_save_users_plagued_by_dns_outages/ w/ the FACT China rampantly STEALS U.S. Intellectual properties & military secrets https://it.slashdot.org/story/...

* IMITATION truly IS the SINCEREST FORM of FLATTERY!!!

(... & proves hosts work vs. DNS faults in tracking you via dns request logs (since you avoid it & resolve FASTER locally using hosts) + DNS being downed OR Kaminsky REDIRECT security flaw misdirected poisoned (or vs. DNSChanger))

APK

P.S.=> Let me tell you ALL 1 thing: It's NOT EASY being "World-Class" like me (lol - 100,000++ users prove it for me) - enjoy the fruits of my labors for FREE + going FASTER/SAFER/MORE RELIABLY online (w/ a bit more anonymity too via my program)... apk

Two birds . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

One one hand it’s a paying advertiser, on the other hand it it doesn’t install Chrome.

This spyware or that spyware what's the difference

[Anonymous Coward]

and don't tell me you prefer Google's genuine spyware, that just makes you look like an idiot.

Re:What? Chrome *isn't* malware?

[Anonymous Coward]

Let's add up Korea, Vietnam, Iraq (twice). Oops we're already at six millions dead at the hand of the US government. Things get more interesting if we're allowed to add every little thing like the Iran-Iraq war or high estimates for any crap that went on.

Your effort at deflection from Google actually aiding a totalitarian government AT BEING TOTALITARIAN is lame.

How lame?

About as lame as a Thalidomide dachshund.

You pathetic piece of shit.

c6gunner + other impersonators, please... apk

[Anonymous Coward]

c6gunner's name on this post as submitter yet signed "APK" https://linux.slashdot.org/com... & he ran from a fair challenge I put to him https://linux.slashdot.org/com... after insulting me.

* QUESTION: Why are you harassing me & IMPERSONATING me TWISTING /.ers words when I'm on topic, YOU'RE NOT & this helps vs. this threat?

(See subject: GROW UP!)

APK

P.S.=> I'd like an answer to that QUESTION above... apk

Chrome is the new Netscape.

[xack]

Microsoft wants to kill Chrome just as much as Netscape, I woudnkt be surprised if some of Bing’s employees were in on the scam, in order to bypass security checks for ads.

Wait what?

[kbg]

So this means that scammers can just pay Microsoft to put their scam and viruses in their search results? So anybody using Bing can just stop using it right now and forever because this is just unacceptable.

Re:Wait what?

[Greyfox]

It's not just Microsoft. No one actually checks the contents of an ad, they just accept a large briefcase full of cash and serve whatever bytes you make available to them. If this specific case doesn't happen on Google as well as bing, it's just because google has their own adwords for their products.

Re:Wait what?

[Anonymous Coward]

This right here is the reason I run ad blockers and will continue to do so. Even sites I like can't be trusted as almost no one vets the ads themselves they just use a service.
They need to make the ad service companies responsible for the damages.

GayPK fixes something after others already did

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm GayPK. I can fix this problem after others already fixed it.
Guess what I am HOSTING in my diaper?

competition isn't the right word...

[luminousone11]

Competition is such a strong word to describe this "relationship". Perhaps, bing flounders uselessly before Google search? I mean bing isn't even worthy of being typed with a capitol letter, the very word is beneath other proper nouns. If bing where a hard drive, you would have to put the jumper on the drive to configure it in slav......., sorry in post 2018 vanacular, secondary mode! Dodged a bullet their, was gunna have Duckduckgo pissed at me. Tho Altavista wouldn't have minded.

Re:What? Chrome *isn't* malware?

[Anonymous Coward]

And Google bought Google Earth from the CIA. I'm sure there is nothing wrong. Also, see Total Information Awareness and Full Spectrum Dominance.

APK & hosts files to the rescue (yet again)

[Anonymous Coward]

0.0.0.0 googleonline2018.com

(That'll STOP the redirect to bogus Chrome - no "1st" really: Lookup EFast (bogus chrome doppleganger malware - the PRICE of opening your code up to others was this which IS why I don't do mine that way (after threats from /. trolls they'd do that to my hosts program)).

* SOURCE: https://www.howtogeek.com/fyi/...

APK

P.S.=> "It's working: Neville... it's working!" See subject & results from the past month https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... & https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... & https://search.slashdot.org/co... that's only recently while I've been on Linux (few months now only) & 100's of times vs. MANY other botnets/malwares etc. in the past circa 2006-early 2018 while I was on Windows: CONCRETE VISIBLE UNDENIABLE REALITY (see those links as proof & only PARTIAL (what /. reported - there were FAR more in that timeframe))... apk

For the BEST possible hosts file?

[Anonymous Coward]

See subject: Via APK Hosts File Engine 2.0++ 64-bit for Linux/BSD h t t p : / / a p k . i t - m a t e . c o . u k / A P K H o s t s F i l e E n g i n e F o r L i n u x . z i p

Yields more security/speed/reliability/anonymity vs. any 1 solution (99% of threats use hostnames vs. IP address most firewalls use) more efficiently/FASTER + NATIVELY 4 less!

Vs. "Bolt on 'MoAr' illogic-logic" slowing you hosts speed u up 2 ways: Adblocks + Hardcode fav. sites u spend most time @ vs. competition loaded w/ security bugs (DNS/AntiVir) + overheads slowing u (messagepass 'souled-out' to advertisers easily detected & blocked addons + firewall filtering drivers) & their complexity leads to exploitation!

* ONLY 1 of its kind in GUI 4 Linux/BSD.

(Better vs. Windows model in speed/efficiency/merge)

APK

P.S.=> Protects vs. script trackers/ads/DNS request tracking + redirect poisoned or downed DNS/botnets/malware downloads/malcript/email malicious payloads... apk

Security pros etc. QUOTED on hosts

[Anonymous Coward]

"classic Windows hosts trick to block the Coinhive or Crypto-Loot domains" - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/a-new-player-joins-coinhive-on-the-browser-cryptojacking-scene/ - BLEEPING COMPUTER

ZD NET http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-use-a-hosts-file-to-improve-your-internet-experience/ "Hosts files really shine by letting you block ads, spyware sites, malware sites, & tracking sites"

SANS ("A related approach to the DNS issue is to create a hosts file on each system that sends requests for spyware to some place else" hosts by myself & RAMU right @ START of "malware explosion" mid 2005 on) https://isc.sans.edu/forums/di...

Aryeh Goretsky/ESET/NOD32: hosts = good security https://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=7442373&cid=49747129/

Oliver Day (SYMANTEC/SECURITYFOCUS) http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/491/

Spybot S&D uses hosts

APK

P.S.=> Malwarebytes' hpHosts hosts & RECOMMENDS my program forum.hosts-file.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4290

Registered /.ers reviews #1/5

[Anonymous Coward]

Your software is just fine - well written, functional... I'm going to continue using the Host File Engine by mmell February 17, 2017

Your premise that hostfiles are a good way to deal with advertising and malvertising is quite valid - by JazzLad April 20, 2016

his hosts program is actually pretty good by xenotransplant August 10 2015

his hosts tool is actually useful for those cases in which one does indeed want to locally block stuff outright while consuming minimum system resources by alexgieg September 25 2015

I like your host file system by Karmashock September 09 2015

that APK guy, I use his host file by rogoshen1 Tuesday March 03, 2015

I personally use a HOSTS file blocker produced from a genius called APK by 110010001000 October 27 2017

* For the Win32/64 model.

APK

P.S.=> Linux model's faster/more efficient/better MERGE feature too - More coming... apk

Registered /.ers reviews #2/5

[Anonymous Coward]

Apk has the answer for that - really... kill automatic updates by adding a hosts file entry setting updates.steam.com or whatever to 127.0.0.1. You have to find the right hostname for each software you want to block updates on by raymorris (2726007) on Friday July 06, 2018

APK your posts on this and the hosts file posts, and more, have never been in error and/or bad advice by BlueStrat (756137) on Wednesday June 21, 2017

I support APK's stand on the hosts file and can't see why it's not used more than it is. My hosts file is 144247 lines long (4,332 Kb) it & a firewall serves me very well - by Trax3001BBS (2368736)

ABP is insufficient as a solid hosts file does everything APK reminds us about fast turtle September 17 2013

You need APK's hosts file - by Teun (17872) on Wednesday August 06, 2014

* For the Win32/64 model.

APK

P.S.=> Linux model's faster/more efficient + BETTER merge feature - More coming... apk

Registered /.ers reviews #3/5

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, APK is totally right on this count. Adblock Plus on Firefox mobile is a dog on older, or lower end, phones. A hostfile based adblocker makes for a much better experience in this context. Of course, your phone has to be rooted, which isn't the case with Firefox + adblock." - by chihowa on Saturday May 16, 2015

APK solution STILL relevant Thud457 June 11 2015

In a footnote, I would like to note that I find your hosts file admirable - by vel-ex-tech (4337079) on Tuesday November 24, 2015

APK's monolithic hosts file is looking pretty good at the moment - by Culture20 on Thursday November 17

you're right about hosts files - by drinkypoo (153816) on Thursday May 26

APK, I know people give you a lot of shit regarding hosts, but please don't ever stop - by nasredin (958927) on Friday June 12, 2015 @03:34PM

* For the Win32/64 model.

APK

P.S.=> Linux model's faster/more efficient + BETTER merge feature - More coming... apk

Registered /.ers reviews #4/5

[Anonymous Coward]

APK is kinda right... I've given up on JS based adblocking and gone to blackholing in /etc/hosts, just like it was back in the 90s. The computational load has gotten intolerable for any ad-blocking using JS. I've tried his hosts file generating software. It works. - by bmo (77928) on Thursday October 15, 2015

get around to 'installing' a hosts file list, not sure which one, likely the one from someonewhocares.org. If it works as well as what I used for a while about ten years ago, I'll be happy. And grateful to APK for the lesson and the reminder. - by kermidge (2221646) on Wednesday March 27

I actually went and downloaded a 16k line hosts file and started using that after seeing that post, you know just for trying it out. some sites load up faster. - by gl4ss (559668) on Thursday November 17

dammit MS, you proved APK right about something by lgw

* For the Win32/64 model.

APK

P.S.=> Linux model's faster/more efficient + BETTER merge feature - More coming... apk

Registered /.ers reviews #5/5

[Anonymous Coward]

(APK) is still right a hosts file really does work. It even blocked a some of the video ads that were inserted into a stream OrangeTide February 10 2016

the Host File Engine performs exactly as promised - by mmell (832646) on Thursday February 16, 2017

I do use APK's host file on all my systems at home by OrangeTide December 01 2017

I've never tried to belittle (APK's work), I've flat out said it's good - by BronsCon (927697) on Thursday February 11, 2016 @06:48PM (#51491263)

(Toss on 100,000++ users worldwide too!)

* For the Win32/64 model.

APK

P.S.=> Linux model's faster/more efficient + BETTER merge feature... apk

Even CHINA copied me (vs. DNS down/redirected)

[Anonymous Coward]

Who did it 1st: China or me? I did - dates are my proof theregister.co.uk/2017/04/26/boffins_supercharge_the_hosts_file_to_save_users_plagued_by_dns_outages/ w/ the FACT China rampantly STEALS U.S. Intellectual properties & military secrets https://it.slashdot.org/story/...

* IMITATION truly IS the SINCEREST FORM of FLATTERY!!!

(... & proves hosts work vs. DNS faults in tracking you via dns request logs (since you avoid it & resolve FASTER locally using hosts) + DNS being downed OR Kaminsky REDIRECT security flaw misdirected poisoned (or vs. DNSChanger)).

APK

P.S.=> Let me tell you ALL 1 thing: It's NOT EASY being "World-Class" like me (lol - 100,000++ users prove it for me) - enjoy the fruits of my labors for FREE + going FASTER/SAFER/MORE RELIABLY online (w/ a bit more anonymity too via my program)... apk

Is the scammer still alive ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is the scammer who setup the fake website still alive ? If yes, then no, Microsoft has not resolved the issue.

Hosts efficacy recently vs. threats

[Anonymous Coward]

"It's working: Neville... it's working!" See subject & results from the past month https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... & https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... + https://it.slashdot.org/commen... https://it.slashdot.org/commen... & https://search.slashdot.org/co... https://search.slashdot.org/co... that's only recently while I've been on Linux (few months now only) & 100's of times vs. MANY other botnets/malwares etc. in the past circa 2006-early 2018 while I was on Windows: CONCRETE VISIBLE UNDENIABLE REALITY (see those links as proof).

P.S.=> & that's ONLY what /. reported on (there are FAR more)... apk

Nah...

[franblets]

The just facilitated a link to the REAL virus.

Power Shell too

[Anonymous Coward]

Like 5 years ago, using Internet Explorer, I searched for Power Shell using Bing and clicked the first link. That took me to a malware site. Since then I almost never use Bing (How was possible they were unable to sanitize even that?)

It's STILL a threat until blocked... apk

[Anonymous Coward]

See subject: It's still a NEW threat & dangerous until it's blocked (hosts is the way) OR sinkholed by ICANN etc. (usually @ DNS level).

* So, that "all said & aside"? The job's NOT DONE YET until you block it from being a threat + making yourself UNABLE TO ACCESS that NOW known bad site!

APK

P.S.=> Lastly - sorry to disappoint you but I am NOT a homosexual either... apk

Still happening

[Anonymous Coward]

Had a user just do it.

Google is next?

[slashmydots]

Maybe now Google can fix its problem with ad results for fake tech support scams when you type in [literally anything] + "support"

Re: PUSH IT! PUSHI IT REAL GOOD!

[Anonymous Coward]

Attacking the free press and encouraging and justifying violence is hilarious!

Re: PUSH IT! PUSHI IT REAL GOOD!

[Anonymous Coward]

Attacking the free press and encouraging and justifying violence is hilarious!

Would that be the same "free press" that deliberately buried mention of Barack Obama hanging out with Louis "I'm not anti-semitic, I'm anti-termite" Farrakhan?

Would that be the same "free press" that deliberately withheld the Khalidi video, purportedly of Barack Obama going full anti-semite?

Would that be the same press that routinely ignores violent vandalism of GOP sites? Florida. Illinois. New York. Nebraska. All in the past couple of days.

GFY

Re:" Bing is letting this advertisement lie people

[Anonymous Coward]

If you are typing an informal quick message to a friend, go ahead and make all the mistakes you want, but if you are blogging or creating headlines intended to be seen by thousands of people, take a little time and make it correct, intelligible, and readable. Some people do actually expect to see proper structure and spelling as a sign that the writer has some basic education and is not a slobbering idiot.

This is false

[Anonymous Coward]

Neither Microsoft nor How-To Geek claimed that the underlying issue was resolved. Microsoft only said that they removed the offending ad.

What is your source for this headline?

Quote just 4U... apk

[Anonymous Coward]

"You realize Dr. Angelo my intelligence has surpassed yours. I can't allow your fear of what you don't understand to get in the way of this work" https://search.slashdot.org/co...

* FROM the film "The Lawnmower Man" (JOB).

APK

P.S.=> "It's NOT new - I realize nothing that I've been doing is new: I haven't been tapping into new areas of the brain. I've just been awakening the MOST ANCIENT. This technology is simply a route to powers that conjurers & alchemists used CENTURIES ago. Human race lost that knowledge & now I'm reclaiming it thru https://search.slashdot.org/co... ... apk

Re:Quote just 4U... apk

[Anonymous Coward]

Just so everyone knows Dr. Angelo is what Alexander Peter Kowalski has named the jar of mayonnaise he keeps forgetting to put in the refrigerator. His posts, like the one above, are a clear sign of his continuing untreated debilitation mental illness.

Dear UNIDENTIFIABLE anonymous STALKER of me

[Anonymous Coward]

Dear UNIDENTIFIABLE anonymous STALKER of me: Get on topic & GROW UP - my facts on hosts are inviolate vs. your bs apparently!

* FACT is like that - get used to it...

APK

P.S.=> Fact's ALL I NEED to dispose of "your kind" (lowest of the LOW online)... apk