So, a couple of days ago, I was on the Internet, enter a Web address (can't remember which one) and instead of going directly to the site I entered, it sent me to a page touting the Performance Optimizer for PCs.

Thinking my computer might be infected with spyware, I downloaded a couple of other anti-spyware programs to run alongside my Ad-Aware. I removed a bunch of stuff (one of the programs found a bunch that Ad-Aware never found).

Anyway, I thought that was that, but then I hit refresh on the main page of the TV Talk forum here at this site today and was redirected to a page for the Performance Optimizer. This time, the page was unable to load, but still, I was wondering if this means I might still have spyware on my computer, or if this was a DVDTalk ad, or something else that I may not have thought about.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Do you mean get the source info on the redirect page? Because as soon as it hits you are taken off the DVDtalk page.

The pop-ups have right-click disabled and you can't get any info from them.

Follow-up: Firefox + NoScript = problem solved.

Yeah I'm using Firefox and I've been getting the damn performanceoptimizer.com ad for a few days now. I didn't install or click "yes" on anything when it showed up but it's a pain because I had to close Firefox to get rid of it. I blocked it on my router a day or two ago but the "blocked" page still comes up so obviously it's still a problem.

So are you guys saying it's not on our systems but in one of the ads here so once it's found the problem will be solved? Is this why Ad-Aware and Spybot didn't catch anything when I scanned?

I guess I feel a little bit better knowing that it's probably not something on my computer that caused this. And I guess I now know that the other time this happened to me must have been from this site. There's also a little comfort that this most recent time that the performance optimizer page tried to come up it wasn't able to fully load.

For a second, though, I really thought my computer was screwed. My original message a couple of post above was actually a thread I started in Tech Talk (I had searched for performance optimizer but didn't find this thread). Then I did a refresh and it sent me to here. Obviously my post was just merged onto this thread, but for a second I thought there was something REALLY screwy going on here.

I meant the DVD Talk page. I've been looking through all the code to see if it's been hacked in.

Yeah, Clckworang I thought I was going to have to ask about this too but I'm glad you posted about it. I had no idea where this came from. At least now we know what it's about and that Geoff will deal with this and hopefully we can all get back to "normal".

SO far it's been like stumbling in the dark. I can't seem to find a line of code anywhere that's doing it.

For what it's worth, I block scripts on this site that aren't hosted by DVDTalk, and allow all ads -- and I haven't had any problems since doing that. So it's an external script that's causing the redirect I suspect.

got it again today - performanceoptimizer.com. it was an immediate redirect upon switching to the music forum.

Just got it (7:03 p.m. central time) trying to get to the HD forum.

Got:

http://performanceoptimizer.com/.lan...0d0b081e150557

in an auto-refresh of the main forum window. Hope this helps.

when you get the ad please oing forum.dvdtalk.com and post the ip you are seeing. I'm seeing if a mirror server was hacked.

It got me too.. twice..! Whic really sucks.. Scanned for spyware and it picked up the one for performance and creature.. go figure

I got hit yesterday, but I had a few tabs open and wasn't sure where it came from.

Just got hit again, and now I know it's coming from DVDTalk.

Ol' Herman claims to be in the US, but his phone is in Germany. Two in the head and two in the chest ought to fix his little red wagon ...



WHOIS sez:


-----------------------------------------------
Queried Domain Information as follows
-----------------------------------------------

Domain Name : performanceoptimizer.com

::Registrant::
Name : Herman Dirk
Email : [email protected]
Address : Abteilung Bildungspolitik Postfach 1821
Zipcode : 65008
Nation : US
Tel : 49-611-802-5
Fax :

::Administrative Contact::
Name : Herman Dirk
Email : [email protected]
Address : Abteilung Bildungspolitik Postfach 1821
Zipcode : 65008
Nation : US
Tel : 49-611-802-5
Fax :

::Technical Contact::
Name : Herman Dirk
Email : [email protected]
Address : Abteilung Bildungspolitik Postfach 1821
Zipcode : 65008
Nation : US
Tel : 49-611-802-5
Fax :

::Name Servers::
ns1.performanceoptimizer.com
ns2.performanceoptimizer.com

::Dates & Status::
Created Date 2006-11-03 11:29:29 EST
Updated Date 2006-11-03 11:29:29 EST
Valid Date 2007-11-03 11:29:29 EST
Status ACTIVE

The previous information has been obtained either directly from the registrant or a registrar of the domain name other than Network Solutions. Network Solutions, therefore, does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

Show underlying registry data for this record


Current Registrar: YESNIC CO. LTD.
IP Address: 190.15.73.254 (ARIN & RIPE IP search)
IP Location: HN(HONDURAS)-FRANCISCO MORAZAN-TEGUCIGALPA
Record Type: Domain Name
Server Type: Other 1
Lock Status: ok
Web Site Status: Active
DMOZ no listings
Y! Directory: see listings
Web Site Title: PerformanceOptimizer - The most Incredible and effective optimization tool ever made!
Secure: No
E-commerce: Yes
Traffic Ranking: Not available
Data as of: 31-Jul-2007

I'm glad to know this isn't just me. I've had this happen on DVDtalk 2 or 3 times in the last few days. Alwasy redirects to a malware software site before I can see what ad causes it. Hope this gets resolved. Any idea on how to stop it in IE? Cheers.

Just got it again..man this sucks. Please kill this..

how do you disable scripts with Firefox here..man this sucks.

I just disabled the top ad. Are you still getting the pop/malicious ad?

Assuming this is what Groucho was referring to, it's an add-on for Firefox

I'm guessing he means Javascripts.

Tools/Options/Content tab.

Really important.... IS any one getting it anymore?!?

I got the Performance Optimizer ad just a few minutes ago. I thought I got a virus because it happened to me yesterday too. The both times it happened to me was when I clicked on the Forum Home link. I had to go around it by using the drop down menu.

I got it going directly to my link to the forums. First time and I havent been able to hit it again. I also cant find a record in my history for it.