
Pirate Bay Branded “Malware Distributor” by Google - llambda
http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-branded-malware-distributor-by-google-130118/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
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joejohnson
The headline is misleading. The Pirate Bay as a whole has not been branded
anything by Google. Rather, certain pages using bayImg and an affiliate ad
network were detected delivering adware or something malicious. So, Google's
software detected this _only on those pages_ , not the Pirate Bay as a whole,
and now Chrome and Firefox now display a warning when trying to access those
specific pages on thepiratebay.se.

The Pirate Bay is aware of the problem and they are working to clean-up their
ads. The scary messages will subside when the ads are fixed. Pretty much a
non-story.

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xSwag
One of the advertisement networks was loading an exploit kit.

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coderdude
It's an accurate label. Those ads they show seem to carry whatever payload
they please. Google is right to warn people away from there.

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jiggy2011
Not to mention whatever crap is in the torrents themselves.

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mistercow
That argument seems pretty iffy to me. If people post links to pages that
contain malware in HN comments, should HN be tagged as a malware distributor?

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ori_b
If the malware is in ads that get loaded when the HN page gets loaded, then HN
should be flagged as distributing malware. The reasoning is purely technical.
Will loading this page involve loading malware?

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mayneack
The comment appears to be countering the argument that the torrents containing
malware should earn this warning.

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PeterisP
An ad partner that doesn't do due diligence and may allow malicious scripts to
be inserted is no small matter - web browsers are rightly warning about that.

It doesn't matter if you're piratebay or Obama's website - first clean up, and
then ask to be reconsidered as a safe site.

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gmjosack
They should flag cnet/Download.com next.

I downloaded something recently that was, unfortunately, only available from
their site. They now wrap downloads in their own executable that presents
something that looks like a TOS but it's to install browser toolbars. Even if
you decline it STILL installs some coupon browser plugin on your system.

Does anyone know if there is a way to present things like this to Google for
review?

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nwh
I just gave up when I couldn't work out which download buttons were for
crapware, and which was the one I actually wanted.

~~~
jiggy2011
The smallest one is the legit download. May still contain toolbars though.

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RegEx
Irrespective of the content on TPB, I've been redirected to pages I didn't
want to go to while on the site.

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darkarmani
Imagine that a site getting flagged because their ad affiliate delivers
malware.

This is how reputation based services act. If the service finds malware it
flags the site or url. SiteAdvisor would do the same thing if it detects
malware.

How do you think the reputation service should mark sites that distribute
malware?

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orangethirty
Wonder what The Pirate Bay will brand them like?

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invalidOrTaken
"The Pirate Bay: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and
villainy."

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jQueryIsAwesome
Specially when they promote unpopular music bands in the front page, its not
illegal but how do they dare to replace record labels like that! That's just
evil.

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wildranter
I don't know why they don't do this to MPAA and whatnot.

