Is anyone catching a virus going over there?
Not me, tboy finds none as well. But sometimes those warnings are caused by the google ads that appear on the pages. If those link to a suspected site, the whole forum gets listed as bad. And those ads are custom for each person who logs on.
Thanks for the heads up Enzo. Thanks for all I've learned from you as well.
Just got this from Google;
QuoteLogarithmic potentiometer tapers: type A vs type B
music-electronics-forum.com/t4992/
This site may harm your computer.
Yes, me too.
Funny thing is, I think google itself is somewhat responsible too.
Because a week ago I got straight into MEF and my antivirus gave me a warning ... but then I blocked google and yahoo ad serving sites linked to MEF and, guess what? got a clean bill of health :o :duh
I'm pasting my NoScript settings here, click to open the image:
It is/was doing the same at diyaudio too
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/site-announcements/226599-bug-firefox-causing-intermittent-malware-warnings.html#post3302516
Thanks for the pointer to NoScript JM. :dbtu: {so much software, so little time...}
Hope you're having an enjoyable break.
I'd certainly be willing to pay for MEF if they would get rid of the ads. It's pretty sad that the site is still being blocked. Oh well.
It's been ok since Monday but today there was several trojan attacks and a java script attack. I think I'll stay off there for a while.
Quote from: macsledge on January 10, 2013, 04:13:06 PM
I'd certainly be willing to pay for MEF if they would get rid of the ads. It's pretty sad that the site is still being blocked. Oh well.
Do the ads bother you here as well? Just curious as they "pay the bills" for the site so to speak.
I have had no trouble here. Then again I have no trouble over at MEF either. I don;t know much about computers, but I get the idea that it seems to matter how the site gets pegged as dangerous. I have three different anti-spyware and anti-virus protections going. None of them are stopping the site for me. I see that search engines like google are pegging the site as dangerous. And of course the google ads seem to be at the heart of it, and everyone sees different google ads. SO I also think it really matters what else you do in the course of a day to geet google ads to target you specifically. SOme of us may see cars, real estate, video games on their google ads, while others of us get Fender amps, Behringer stuff, and CD/MP3 offerings.
Use Google against itself!! Start using startpage.com which uses google influence without tracking your IP address, hence a built in proxy search environment. So, you still search w/ google but you are not tracked like you would be eating those damn devilish Google Cookies!
I say there is nothing wrong with MEF website and will testify in a malware court of law on that one. Set your Javascript to prompt you before ever running on ANY browser that you ever use. To me Java has been a curse in the programming world for way way too long now. Today Homeland security put out an alert about Java holes that are mainly effecting Oracle based database systems. They are telling all to turn off Java(not really javascript this is much more heavy) to avoid troubles. They say they will be issuing a patch on Jan 15th to fix this HUGE issue. Note: that Sunmicrosystems is not yet effected but that is not saying much in the JAVA world. Trust me there is some weird stuff going on lately and always has been, but it seems like the weird factor just got turned up a bit.
http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/625617
QuoteAnd of course the google ads seem to be at the heart of it, and everyone sees different google ads. SO I also think it really matters what else you do in the course of a day to geet google ads to target you specifically. SOme of us may see cars, real estate, video games on their google ads, while others of us get Fender amps, Behringer stuff, and CD/MP3 offerings.
I think that's the point.
FWIW now I see no ads at all while I browse SSGuitar or MEF :o (as in now: nothing nada no zero zilch) BUT I'm running No Script and it tells me SSGuitar IS allowed to run javascript (I guess I trust joecool <3) ), but there are also 2 sites (yes, hosted in this very page) which I did NOT allow to do so:
* google-analytics dot com <-- I guess they "analyze" what I browse and feed such data to:
* googlesyndication dot com <-- I guess they feed me ads based on my browsing history
NoScript is very easy to use, because you "teach" it who to allow, like you would a guardian dog: It starts allowing *nobody* and squeaks like a frightened mouse (no kidding) everytime they try to.
It's funny, some pages go "squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak " meaning they called (without asking :trouble ) 5 others.
Some like the big newspapers (NY Times and such) may call up to 15 or 20 others :o
When it squeaks, you simply click "allow" or "don't" and it remembers, just like that.
As a backup shield I also have AdAware which works in a different way: it allows to load *everything* but every "object", such as an ad image or specially those pesky, heavy and resource hogging flash animations get a little "block" label on one edge.
So you have, say, the top 1/3 of your screen with an Energizer ad full of tireless bunnies chasing each other, with Music, special effects, whatever, slowing your machine or simply distracting you: you just click the "block" kabel and it magically disappears.
That one and any other from that address 8)
For example, now it's blocking:
* a "show ads" script from pagead2 googlesyndication com
* google analytics
* tqlkg com <-- what's this? :-\
* awltovhc com ""
* ftjcfx com ""
* lduhtrp com ""
tqlkg com >>> Online marketing solutions: performance-based affiliate programs & search marketing
By facilitating strategic relationships between advertisers and publishers, Commission Junction leverages its proven expertise in affiliate marketing, partner marketing and search marketing to drive measurable results for its clients.
ValueClick, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCLK) is the single-source provider of media, technology and related services that enable advertisers, agencies and publishers to reach consumers in all major online marketing channels.
Also go look at this site that relates to tqlkg.com and scroll to the very bottom. READ that whole privacy policy.
http://www.robtex.com/faq.html
awltovhc com>>>helps companies to utilize online marketing with search engines
ftjcfx.com is a domain used by Commission Junction which is an advertising company that is part of a network of sites, cookies, and other technologies used to track you, what you do and what you click on, as you go from site to site, surfing the Web. Over time, sites like ftjcfx.com can help make an online profile of you usually including the sites you visit, your searches, purchases, and other behavior. Your profile can then be exchanged and sold between various companies like ftjcfx.com as well as being sold to other advertisers and marketers.
lduhtrp.net is a domain used by MediaPlex which is an advertising company that is part of a network of sites, cookies, and other technologies used to track you, what you do and what you click on, as you go from site to site, surfing the Web. Over time, sites like lduhtrp.net can help make an online profile of you usually including the sites you visit, your searches, purchases, and other behavior. Your profile can then be exchanged and sold between various companies like lduhtrp.net as well as being sold to other advertisers and marketers.
<<< So it's not that bad right? It's just like waking up after a really great night of partying and trying to remember what you did!
Quote from: J M FaheySSGuitar IS allowed to run javascript (I guess I trust joecool
Yeah, but the problem isn't
Joe.
In December I had TWO injections of malicious Javascript code into all the pages of AVA. Only for a couple of days each time before they were detected and fixed, but the fact that folks like Joe and I are trusted to run clean sites only makes it worse. AVA is just basic HTML, no Java, but that wouldn't have protected my users. :grr
I've now installed NoScript and I really like the control it gives me, and thanks
Doc for the
startpage.com tip, I can see that becoming a regular. :dbtu:
I tried to get on MEF today and Microsoft Security Essentials popped up a window telling me that it found something it didn't understand and ask me to send it to them. Perhaps some kind of malicious code. There was also something called Exploit:JS/Blacole.KV that was quarantined.
Is it that hard to prevent this crap on the website end, or just expensive? I don't really want to start using a different browser. Last time I tried going on the Sunn forum (a child of MEF on the same server) the key click on my computer started going off like I had pressed on a dozen links.
It seems more and more that something really bad has infected the Adsense and google analytics scripts on MEF. I for one have not stopped going on the site and Tboy is definitely working on a fix. I mean let's face it MEF is a priceless site!! SSguitar is priceless too! The main problem is that the infected scripts could be coming from outside sites that connect to the main site. So scanning all the pages in the site is difficult to do... However, Sophos has cleared MEF and now it only looks like badware/google are really showing the site to have infections.
I found that some of the crap at one point is originating from Russian servers... Which is not too uncommon with attacks on websites in the same regard. Many times it is from a Ukraine server somewhere or etc etc etc... However, even then the originating servers that are sending this crap are proxy to the originators of the codes. Then the only last one to blame is really the host servers which one of them is always Google back bone. I saw on VBseo.com website a post about "Has Google been hacked?" there is a post to that original thread. There is an updated posted on 01-11-20013 by Hodsdiash regarding this topic on the forum. When you click the link nothing is there now...? Scroll down and look under "Off-Topic & Chit Chat" section... You will only see the four posts from 2012 regarding the Has google been hacked topic...
http://www.vbseo.com/forums/
At one point I could see the MEF had been hosted on AS48172 OVERSUN....
Russian connection point... Now I don't see that connection at all and only saw it on there for brief period while researching. Kinda strange.
There are even links for this host network that have direct link to microsoft home page...
http://www.microsoft.com/web/hosting/hostingprovider/details/364
Most of the time I see a additional host links on AS29933 OFF-CAMPUS-TELECOMMUNICATIONS - Off Campus Telecommunications... But at one point for a about a day AS29933 was not on this list and AS48172 was... look below to the webpage I am referring to below>>>
Look at this link for info regarding this fact.
http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=http://music-electronics-forum.com
Cool, nice investigation.
Specially because it looks like we get different google results depending on where we live.
Clicking the exact same links you post give me Spanish Language results, although *everything* in my PC, from Windows version to Firefox to AntiVirus and everything in between is set up in English, so they are *clearly* watching me and among other stuff, they check my IP address.
So I get no Russian results at all, unless I specifically browse a Russian site.
Big Brother + the Matrix are alive and kicking.
FWIW your Google link shows:
QuoteNavegación segura
Página de diagnóstico de music-electronics-forum.com
¿Cuál es el estado actual de music-electronics-forum.com?
El sitio aparece como sospechoso. Visitar este sitio web puede dañar su computadora.
En los últimos 90 días, se indicó 260 veces que parte de este sitio realizaba actividades sospechosas.
¿Qué ocurrió cuando Google visitó este sitio?
De las 712 páginas que probamos en el sitio durante los últimos 90 días, 298 páginas tuvieron como resultado la descarga e instalación de software malicioso sin el consentimiento del usuario. Google visitó el sitio por última vez el 2013-01-14. La última vez que se encontró contenido sospechoso en este sitio fue el 2013-01-14.
El software malicioso está alojado en 6 dominios, incluidos samplesstimulate.info/, fepawctes.myfw.us/, roamerpeertopeer.info/.
Este sitio se alojó en 2 redes, incluidas AS29933 (OFF), AS15169 (Google Internet Backbone).
¿Este sitio ha actuado como intermediario en la distribución de software malicioso?
En los últimos 90 días, music-electronics-forum.com no pareció funcionar como intermediario para la infección de sitios.
¿Este sitio ha alojado software malicioso?
No, este sitio no ha alojado software malicioso en los últimos 90 días.
¿Cómo ocurrió esto?
En algunos casos, terceros pueden agregar un código malicioso a sitios legítimos, lo que podría ocasionar que mostrásemos el mensaje de advertencia.
So, what must be explained is this: why MEF does NOT host malware but YES 50% of its pages "lead to unaprovved downloads"?
Obviously some embedded code or script leads you from a clean site to an infected one.
Can't some code snippet be written which blocks that?
I mean, I'm avoiding problems by using NoScript and AdBlock as add ons, but maybe something similar can be applied to the MEF server itself.
Note: even if Spanish, the words I highlighted are close enough to equivalent English ones to make comparison easy.
Note 2: although not often aknowledged, English is incredibly "Latin", or to be more precise: "Italian" ;)
Some examples of "very English" words and their Italian origin:
Cook > cuocco
Ink > inchiostro
City > cittá
Avenue > avenida
Parliament > parlamento
and so on and on and on :o
Quote from: J M Faheyalthough not often acknowledged, English is incredibly "Latin"
Quite so. :dbtu:
I managed to be a straight "Z" language student at school, French, a bit of Latin, but I've always been interested in English etymology, so when I see "malicioso" the context says "mal" = bad and I can often get a sense of the meaning from the conjunctions and a few scattered words in Italian, Spanish, and somewhat in French.
Recently I needed to read a cited research paper on wind turbine noise in French (gulp) yet I was surprised how little I had to resort to Google translate to get the general sense. (and it turned out to conclude exactly the
opposite of what was being claimed; boy did I have fun with that :trouble )
Brings to mind a song lyric;
If you spoke a foreign language
you could move to a foreign land.
But people speak to you in English
and you still don't understand. :lmao:
Been wrassling with an XP reinstall and it seems to me that Mickysoft don't actually speak English either. So much text - so little information. :grr
In the past it was the banner ads that were blamed for the malicious site warnings at MEF. I'd suggest getting rid of the banner ads by having members pledge donations to replace that revenue if they wish (it would be strictly voluntary.) With PayPay subscriptions we could have a specific amount donated to MEF on whatever schedule works for us. One-time donations are nice but are not something that you can count on in a budget. I'm on a fixed income but I could cough up $5 every other month to help support the site.
I don't know if tboy is still running MEF on his own server but with enough revenue coming in he might want to migrate to something else to increase bandwidth and security.
If the malicious links are found within the posts of new members then I think that measures should be taken to prevent that. Here's one idea: why not prevent new members from posting links until they have been vetted by tboy or one of the mods, which would happen only after a waiting period of, say, 30 days.
One of the reason people join the forum is to ask questions about a specific problem in which case there really isn't a need to post a live link. They could still upload pictures to illustrate their problem, or if a link to a site was actually necessary they could spell it out with <dot> replacing the period in a web address.
Speaking of people who join to look for a solution to a specific problem many of them never log on again once they get their answer. If a new member doesn't log on again for something like 6 months perhaps they could be automatically sent an email asking them to reply if they wish to remain a member.
Just some thoughts going through my mind...
Steve Ahola
I got on there today without a problem using Window's InPrivate browser. I PM's tboy and he says he thinks he got all the bad code out. Google did a scan and didn't find anything.
On the diyAudio forum a moderator has to approve your first five posts. There are alot of members that have never posted. I found both the founders of Audio Precision on there and neither have ever posted. I PM's one of them and he replied within 24 hours.
Well, I'm very happy to see MEF up again. It's definitely one of my favorite music electronics sites.
No sense making a new thread here... The question is relevant to the current situation. I am wondering what's going on over at MEF? Anyone? Seems that the domain name expired and hopefully the site will be back up soon.
I know nothing of it, but hopefully he just needs to pay a bill.
I know if I don't send Blue Cross a check tomorrow, my medicare advantage account will go away.
Think the same.
I *guess* TBoy isn't logging in every day , very probably because of Business/Family , so he might have missed some "You're late on your payment" warnings.
If somebody has some direct EMail or connection, please use it to relay news to him.
I see now that their domain name expired on 30/04/2014 and is pending renewal or deletion!!!
When I have donated to the site it goes to a related site called firebottle.com. So in an attempt to let Tboy know I sent the email to the support email that accompanies the donation page. Hopefully that works and hopefully he is already aware.
Quote from: tonyharker on May 02, 2014, 04:28:51 AM
I see now that their domain name expired on 30/04/2014 and is pending renewal or deletion!!!
I saw that yesterday while trying to respond to a thread.
The site should have been on auto-renewal. That's what I do with my important domain names (actually singular nowadays).
The problem is that of email notifications. A lot of domain name owners don't pay attention to the email reminders to renew or the latter is dumped to gmail's overly excited spam folder.
Let's hope it gets back up soon.
Well, the only good news is I tried to buy the domain name through the godaddy link and it said the "domain is not available".
Dr.Gonz, thanks for the reminder about the paypal thing. In case it's a financial issue I sent a donation via paypal to paypal (at symbol) firebottle.com. Those donations are accompanied by an email to him titled "you've got money" so I think he will have it set up so those don't go into his spam folder :). Added a note about hoping to see the site back up, so if he was unaware of the issue he should be notified now.
Quote from: g1 on May 02, 2014, 01:42:08 PM
Well, the only good news is I tried to buy the domain name through the godaddy link and it said the "domain is not available".
There's usually a grace period after which the domain name goes up on auction.
Well, it is moot, the site is back up and running.
We may or may not ever hear the whole story. we all ought to donate to the fund over there though.
Yeah I know I will donate, but let us not forget Joe. I really appreciate the effort that Joe puts into SSguitar and it keeps a solid community together too. Just sending some love to SSguitar for just being here as always. This site to me is the rock!
Excellent point Dr.Gonz. I don't know if the ads here are enough to cover Joe's costs to keep the place running. If he wanted to put on a "donate" button or run a fundraising drive, I'd be more than happy to donate, this site is greatly appreciated!
No point creating another "what happened to MEF threads"... I think I will just tack something on here... So? It appears that the server is not connected to the Internet or something. Typically in the past it would come up with a Database Error page or something or another. This time it appears to be truly offline. I am sure it will be up again, but any time it disappears it worries me a bit. I probably worry too much though. Anyone know what's going on?
When EMF has gone off line in the past I was still able to bring up the old home page at www.ampage.org but that address is current dead too. Seems that the server is down hard this time.
Tom
Not sure what is going on with the site.
When these outages occur, I usually jokingly refer to them as tboys fundraising drives. :cheesy:
Usually, I make a donation and the site magically returns. I'll have to dig through my email archive for the address and see if it works.
Ah, nevermind, I see that I noted the email address a few posts above, last time it went down.
What worries me the most is if any of these forums were to lose the archive data it works hard to protect. So much useful information to pass along in search form. We saw that happen with the database crash and lost many years worth of pictures & schematics uploads.
:(
Oh, I thought maybe they just didn;t like me and were blocking.
I am amazed at how often it doesn;t crash. I will allow tboy the occasional crash, just out of respect. I probably should donate too.
Since I retired officially, i stopped collecting schematics. I have a pretty good collection as it sits, but the newer stuff, I just open up from the threads to use for comments. But I will say that nickb has done a good job of cloning the majority of the old Schematic Heaven, plus he has expanded it a LOT with things other than tube amps. Always a good first place to look. That is on his Black Magic AMps site. And he is an active participant in MEF, so I know he gleans schematics from our threads. So what I am saying is that not everything will be lost.
http://bmamps.com/Tech_sch.html
But yes it is sad when we lose anything from MEF. Not all system crashes kill the memory files though.
Well, they are back up as of now.
I'm still getting a timeout. I even re-booted and thought it was working but it was just the last valid page from two days ago.
It's working now. Seems a little slow to respond but that could be the new Firefox 47.0.1
Edit: This site seems to be working fine, maybe a little better than before!
MEF went down last night and was still down this morning. It's back up now.
My wife does the same thing...
Quote from: Enzo on August 11, 2016, 08:48:34 PM
My wife does the same thing...
Oh Enzo is obviously fully functional today,,, :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :dbtu:
Phil.