Reporting Bugs the Debian Way

When I try to read this particular story, I'm redirected to some sort of antivirus download page and presented with a dialog prompting me to download some XP related software (odd, since I'm running Ubuntu). Can you check the link, please?

The link is fine. The page actually loads, then something brings up the virus scan ad. You can hit your stop button after the page loads but before the ad comes up, and read the article with no problems.

Unfortunately, FSM doesn't seem to have a contact link to report the ad. :(

Yep. Me too. I caught a snapshot of it in case I can get in touch with FSM.

And, of course, it's spyware or worse. I went ahead and allowed it to "scan" my system. It claimed to have found four viruses. My systems actually does have a few viruses in my mail spool, as clamav was kind enough to tell me during a recent virus scan, but no Windows based virus scanner is going to know how to find them.

jdixon: Contact FSM at input at freesoftwaremagazine dot com

I don't see the ad, but I run AdBlock Plus.

Sander:

I didn't capture the ad, so I don't have much information to give them. Bob has a snapshot he can send them with full information, so he should probably do it. The ad doesn't seem to be coming up now, so it's probably a rotating ad.

I added these two to my hosts file:

127.0.0.1 widget.odiogo.com 127.0.0.1 ad.afy11.net

which took care of the problem.

Maybe someone else will add them one at a time, to see which is the offender, but... ok, I'll do it.

(drum roll....)

Well, the really annoying ads are coming from ad.afy11.net, but the redirect didn't happen a second time. I will make an assumption that this is one of those "smart" infected sites that doesn't let you load twice quickly, to obfuscate its nefarious nature.

Nevertheless, the site redirected to was (is) "xponlinescanner.com/2008/3/en/freescan.php?aid=77011806" just in case someone wants to try to trap the low-life scum.

Sometimes "screen print" can be a very, very useful tool.

Ok, my notes to FreeSoftwareMagazine contacts got attention. He's got the graphic with the target site, and he's _furious_ with his advertiser. :^)

Anyway, if it still happens to anyone, you can use the mail addresses mentioned above to let them know it's still happening. It's not happening to me, but I've not unblocked the redirected site either.