[geeks] Advertising status bar in I.E.

[Mike Hebel]

In a fit of angst Geoffrey S. Mendelson gargled the following:

> She is running Windows XP (SP2) and I.E. 6. She has run Adaware and
> Windows Defender.
>
> She does not have administrator access, so she can't go into safe
> mode.

If I recall Spybot will run in normal user mode but I'd have to test it to
be sure.  Spywareblaster will keep most objectionable sites from being
linked to.  Both are free.

> Whenever she goes to a web site, for example Amazon, her status bar
> has all sorts of links to web sites that sell items that are referred
> to on the page.

Trojan downloader/page hijacker most likely.  95% sure it's infected.

> She is concerned that something is scanning the web pages she is visiting
> and not only slowing things down, but sending back information, possibly
> passwords, etc.

Yep.  The definition of malware.  She's right to be concerned.

> Anyone have any ideas on what to do? I'm glad we don't have it here,
> but without reproducing it, I'm lost.

See programs mentioned at the top.  At the very least she can try and keep
a lid on some of the stuff under her username.

That is unless they've locked down loading _anything_ on the machine... :-(

Mike Hebel
----
See with eyes unclouded, Think with mind uncluttered, Act with heart
unchained!