Tech Alert From TreeHugger
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 07.17.07
We have recently heard from a few readers of TreeHugger that they experienced an aggressive popup ad while visiting the site. We have not found the source of the popup on our servers, and are now working with the various third party ad services that partner with TreeHugger to try and isolate the issue.
In the meantime, if you have been affected by these ads, and are concerned about malware resulting from them, please use the following instructions to remove any malware from your computer:
How to Remove DriveCleaner (Security Response from Symantec)
How to Remove SystemDoctor (Security Response from Symantec)
Wikipedia entry on this family of malware (including section on removal)
hey, you should see what we're doing with solar energy over at Southside Air Inc. Be sure to stop by our website at http://www.southsideair.com and leave us some comments about what you think at http://www.southsideair.com/blog .
Yes, I got hit by DriveCleaner after visiting treehugger. But I use a Mac, and your Symantec removal instructions suggest that only Windows machines are affected. Any suggestions?
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Tech responds: For Macs, the pop-up is an annoyance, but won't install software on your machine, because the software the pop-up attempts to install is Windows software. So you shouldn't really be at risk from it.
Tree huggers have been quick to condemn
old cars for OZONE but have remained
quiet about the results of the SOS
study that reports the largest source
of OZONE is from trees like Reagan
said 25 years ago. The release by
trees of the mildly toxic gas ISOPRENE
with its super high MIR number is responsible
for most of the OZONE. I wonder why
so many OZONE monitors get located near
TREES.
PS I love trees but fair is fair. 2 sides of
and story are better than one.
If you use the Fire Fox browser there is an option for blocking pop-up ads that is turned on by going to Tools/Options/Content and checking the "Block popup Ads" box. Firefox also has a free ad blocker, creatively called AdBlock, available at http://adblock.mozdev.org/ that can also help with the most offending content.
Or just http://www.GetFirefox.com/
I find I've been getting a lot of pop-ups when I go to Digg. Anyone else notice this ?
The pop ups are not anything installed on your computer. They are scripts in tree hugger ads. Its easy to write a script to minimize a window and open a dialog box. This is a direct result of Tree Hugger focusing on ad revenue and not content. If Tree Hugger was selective about whom they did business with, this would not happen. Evidence of this; ads for GE clean coal on Tree Hugger.
The "block popup" thing doesn't work for Mac/Firefox. I have popups disabled and am still getting the drivecleaner popup occasionally. Just FYI.