Alden Bates' Weblog: Google-modifying malware

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Home : December 2007

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Google-modifying malware

Filed in: Computers.

See if you can spot what's wrong with the following screenshot of Google results:

Yes, that left-hand frame isn't meant to be there. Google displays sponsored results on the right-hand side of the window, not the left! Some cheeky piece of software is stripping off Google's ads and substituting its own!

The computer in question had two suspect programs installed - "SuperiorAds" and "Dcads". After I removed these (using "Add/Remove Programs"), things were back to normal. Oddly enough, Adaware, which hadn't been able to update its definition file before, was suddenly able to once the two bits of software were removed... How strange...

Posted December 13, 2007 7:04 PM

Comments

I'm surprised that malware gave up so easily. Stopping after merely being removed by Add/Remove Programs? Weenies...

(You have sign in now? That looks hideously over complicated.)

Posted by: Thad Ritchards | December 14, 2007 8:47 AM

I guess that my be so they can claim to be legit - their uninstaller works, you see, so they can't possibly be adware even though they substitute Google's ads with their own.

Anonymous comments are still turned on. The sign-in is just for people who have openID. :)

Posted by: Alden | December 14, 2007 9:40 AM

Alden Bates' Weblog

Feigning normality since 1973

Google-modifying malware

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	Home : December 2007 Alden Bates' Weblog Feigning normality since 1973 « RTP 25 & TSV 75 \| Main \| White Pages Logo » Google-modifying malware Filed in: Computers. See if you can spot what's wrong with the following screenshot of Google results: Yes, that left-hand frame isn't meant to be there. Google displays sponsored results on the right-hand side of the window, not the left! Some cheeky piece of software is stripping off Google's ads and substituting its own! The computer in question had two suspect programs installed - "SuperiorAds" and "Dcads". After I removed these (using "Add/Remove Programs"), things were back to normal. Oddly enough, Adaware, which hadn't been able to update its definition file before, was suddenly able to once the two bits of software were removed... How strange... Posted December 13, 2007 7:04 PM Comments I'm surprised that malware gave up so easily. Stopping after merely being removed by Add/Remove Programs? Weenies... (You have sign in now? That looks hideously over complicated.) Posted by: Thad Ritchards \| December 14, 2007 8:47 AM I guess that my be so they can claim to be legit - their uninstaller works, you see, so they can't possibly be adware even though they substitute Google's ads with their own. Anonymous comments are still turned on. The sign-in is just for people who have openID. :) Posted by: Alden \| December 14, 2007 9:40 AM Post a comment Name: Email Address: URL: Remember personal info? Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)
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