Malicious ad Strikes Gumtree, Renowned Auction Website

A harmful online advertisement apparently having malware prevented Web-surfers from accessing 'Gumtree' the auction website, during the concluding Saturday and Sunday of June this year (2014), that resulted in numerous end-users to avoid the site completely, published lifehacker.com.au dated June 30, 2014.

It's reported that Google labeled the site malicious.

According to the Internet giant, when it tested 2,018 web-pages belonging to the site, it found that 109 of those web-pages served malware to be installed on people's computers without their knowledge.

Google stated that it last accessed Gumtree.com on 27th June 2014 when it also last detected dubious material on the website's pages.

The malware comprised 88 attack codes, 31 PC-Trojans and 2 PC-viruses. If the contamination turned out effective, then a mean of three processes resulted on the compromised computer, stated Google, adding that dual domains - indolocker.com/ and zamcheck.org/ - were resorted to for hosting the malware. Seemingly, one domain worked as intermediary to disseminate malicious software onto visitors' machines accessing zamcheck.org/.

This disturbing operation resulted in uncontrolled traffic on Gumtree's account with Facebook as well as on different destinations online, one being Reddit since surfers issued alerts among themselves about one possible security hack.

Gumtree's Spokesman explained the situation as thus: Google detected the unsafe material inside one advertisement that an intermediate agency provided. Over many hours on 28th June, 2014, the message remained albeit Gumtree persistently said the problem had been corrected on the 28th itself. Mumbrella.com.au reported this, June 30, 2014.

In addition to what Gumtree said, the auction site reassured visitors there had been no virus installed on the website. There hadn't been any infringement on Gumtree's security. Visitors were being urged that the website was secure and safe as also that the technical problems leading to the core problem had already been resolved. Mumbrella.com.au reported this.

Evidently, the exact problem was yet to be properly determined alternatively what had been the source of the advertisement loaded onto Gumtree.com.

The lesson: one must forever remain security conscious despite surfing on trustworthy renowned websites, while forever maintain updated anti-virus solutions towards warding off malware.

» SPAMfighter News - 7/7/2014