The worst-case scenario used to be that online ads are pesky, memory-draining distractions. But a new batch of banner ads is much more sinister: They hijack personal computers and bully users until they agree to buy antivirus software.

And the ads do their dirty work even if you don't click on them.


Wired News (http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2007/11/doubleclick)

I have known this for a while, I'm glad they decided to publish it.. The banners DO come from major sites; advertisers that hire screw-pulous people are to blame... Content providers "major sites" are to blame for not screening their advertisers banners for malware... Some of the code has been observed trying to perform buffer exploits, to disable local machine security or to directly plant executables in the form of active x scripts and cookies that attempt to check "banner status" that phone home with local machines private information; including OS and software versions, probably to gather information about that machine to use for hacking that particular machine..

I thought this was pertinent. My mom got hit by one of these on Sunday or Monday. It was an EXE that it tried to run so AVG caught it and all is still well on her comp...

I ran across one of these about 10 days ago on the Phillies MLB site.
PITA - No matter how you tried to click out of it, it would try to run.

Reminds me of the "drive-by" Vundo installs we used to see about 3-4 years ago.

Bastages! :cuss: