We occasionally get reports of ads that trigger antivirus warnings or infect computers that are browsing the wiki. This FAQ is an attempt to consolidate all the information about such things into one thread. Please read the below before reporting any incidents.
This thread may also be used to report ads that violate our policies in other ways, such as being too "adult" or NSFW, automatically playing audio/video, etc.
REPORTING: try to get a screenshot of the console as well as this will help identify where it's coming from.
REDIRECTS: Its very tricky to get the first URL of a redirect trigger because they are designed to hide where it came from. So you need a redirect plug-in
active while the redirect happens so you can find the first URL, not the last. Where you were directed to doesn't help track down the source.
- TV Tropes, as a site, does not contain malware. We are a text-and-image wiki; viruses and malware cannot be uploaded to or embedded in the articles. As always, however, beware of any external link that you don't recognize, since we cannot automatically screen edits or posts for malicious links.
- 99.99% of the time, any suspected malware will be related to the wiki advertising.
- TV Tropes does not directly control the ads that are displayed. We use third-party ad providers and we determine things like the size and placement.
- We instruct our providers not to serve ads that redirect your browser, take control of the screen from you, forcibly scroll your screen, play audio without being clicked on, install malware, "pop up" or "pop over" your screen, or in any other way interfere with your browsing experience.
- We have custom software designed to detect ads that do these things and automatically block them.
- Malicious entities are constantly trying to sneak ads through the providers' networks in violation of these instructions. As providers have little incentive to proactively detect and block them, it's up to websites to report these sorts of problems.
- We rely on our users to report ads that get through these measures.
- Just because you see a particular ad doesn't mean everyone else sees it. Ads are customized by the ad providers to your location (by IP address), the content of the page you're viewing, and your browsing profile, which is tracking data accumulated by third parties over the course of all your internet browsing.
- Just because you get a malware warning or infection that seems related to an ad on TV Tropes does not necessarily mean that it is caused by one of our ads. Pre-existing malware on your computer can intercept ads and replace them with malicious ones.
- Ads containing malware, obviously.
- Misbehaving ads, such as ones that load a pop-up or pop-under, redirect your browser to another page, hijack your screen or automatically scroll it.
- "Adult" or NSFW ads. Scantily clad women alone may or may not qualify, depending on context, but we want this site to be work-safe.
- Ads that automatically play audio — that is, the audio starts without you clicking on the ad first. Video ads are acceptable.
- Note: Political content is not grounds for rejecting an ad. However, an ad that contains or implies hate speech, disinformation, or outright falsehoods may be objectionable enough to be blocked.
- First and foremost, maintain current, updated antivirus software, and keep your operating system and browser up to date with all patches offered by the software vendors. This includes Adobe Flash, Java, and other rich media plug-ins. Turn on your software's automatic updates if they are not already on and act immediately when prompted to install them.
- Never click on pop-ups purporting to have detected a virus, offering to "tune up" your PC, or otherwise inducing you to click on a link that you were not expecting. Any genuine message of this nature would come from your antivirus software and not from a web page.
- Be careful clicking on external links. These are identified with a small icon next to them. Example: Google. TV Tropes does not endorse or control the content of external links and you open them at your own risk.
- Never respond to any email or web page that asks for personal or financial information, including passwords, unless you have verified its identity. No reputable company will ever ask you for your password(s), other than to log in.
- You may choose to opt out of having tracking information collected by ad providers. This does not stop malware but helps you maintain your online privacy. See here for additional information.
- TV Tropes requests that you do not use ad blocking software while visiting us, as this site depends on advertising revenue to operate. If you do run an ad blocker, please add tvtropes.org to its exception list, or consider donating to the site to have certain ads removed.
- We (or the ad provider) place a "Report advertisement" link next to most advertising frames. Clicking on this will generate an automatic report and is the best way to do so. If you cannot click on this link or do not see it, continue for more advice.
- Try to identify the source URL of the suspect ad (see below). You can also use the target URL (if you are redirected), but note that this may be intentionally obfuscated by the ad provider to hide the source.
- Identify the ad provider. Some ads have a small area that links to the ad provider's page (like Google or AOL). In other cases, you can tell from the referral URL or you can look it up in a search.
- Go to the ad provider's contact/abuse page and fill out their form. Below are some links to common providers' abuse pages:
- Scan your computer for viruses. If your antivirus software will not operate (many malicious programs attempt to disable your antivirus software), you can download a scanning tool on a known clean system and run it on your infected machine from a read-only CD-R or flash drive.
- If you suspect that you've been tricked into divulging personal information to a phishing attempt or other fraud, change your passwords to affected sites immediately and contact your bank, credit card companies, and the credit bureaus to request a fraud alert.
- Please note that TV Tropes cannot assist you with the specifics of maintaining your computer. That's your responsibility. You may request general help in the appropriate forums, but please don't post new threads in the forums dedicated to wiki operation (Wiki Talk, Frequently Asked Questions, etc.).
- Sometimes, the wiki administration can get better results from the ad providers in dealing with malicious ads. If you can identify a malicious ad by referral URL, you can post the link in this thread, but please omit the "http" component so it doesn't create a hyperlink that someone might click on inadvertently.
- For image ads, right-clicking (or a long tap on mobile devices) should give you the option to view and copy the URL that clicking on it will send you to.
- For Flash, Java, or HTML 5.0 ads, it may be difficult to identify the source or the URL by right-clicking. In these cases, you need to view the page source to identify the ad so we can report it.
- In Internet Explorer, you can right-click in a blank or text area of any web page, and choose View Source from the context menu. Firefox also has this option. In Chrome, you can use the Inspect Element menu option, which interactively highlights the portion of the page whose code you are hovering over. You can use this to identify the ad frame and its source URL.
- For embedded ads, there will be a "frame" element with a "src" parameter. Drill down until you get to the lowest level. All we need to identify the ad is the "src" URL from that frame.
for more information or to discuss the service.
Edited by kory on Nov 15th 2023 at 10:36:27 AM
Email it to fasteddie AT tvtropes.org
Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
Okay, sent.
Thanks. I edited out the personal info before forwarding it.
Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
Thank you, Eddie.
pirate girl
I am also having problems related to optimized-by.rubiconproject.com
My probelm is that no matter what I do, I have to click the back button a few times before it actualyl works, and it's just on TV Tropes that it happens. I'm not sure whether this is due to the fact I'm using IE9 or whatever it is, but it's really annoying me. What do?
Only way I've found to get around it is to browse using firefox. Why do ads not like Internet Explorer working properly?
edited 28th Dec '11 4:14:55 PM by TARDISES
Another infected Ad:
Ad URL : d5.purebluemedia.com/?eQUEUQIGQBtQU1YBGGQAWAUSMjkoDgVCSVQEFwFUQVMPR1QgC0EcQycnYldGBRcfR09CFxoNCF4=
The complaint from my AV : www.impeckor.com/armyline/59305u7... (it cut off the rest, unfortunately)
Ad served on the Improving the Front Page forum topic, upper ad.
Thanks.
Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
Just now got another infected advertisement from the bottom side-banner ad from the Frequently Asked Questions board.
The direct ad URL I could click on was http://d5.purebluemedia.com/?TD02UQIGQBtQU1YBGGQAWAUSMjkoDgVCSVQEFwFUQVMPR1QgC0EcQycnYldGBRcfR09CFxoNCF4= .
My antivirus gave the URL as http://www.jallimex.com/quoteraz/6655367|>[Embedded:DeanEdwards]|>[Embedded:DeanEdwards].
edited 29th Dec '11 7:56:03 AM by Darkaros
Reported. Thanks.
Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
I also got another Avast-blocked exploit. On the Writer's Block forum. At 3:06 AM, EST.
URL: pimerine.com/jcar2/...|> [Embedded:Dean Edwards]
I took a screenshot, and saved it. Eddie, would you like me to email it to you? (It would be from a different address this time, just FYI.)
EDIT: I wemt ahead and emailed it to you as a Jpeg file. I redacted the personal info. I hope that it's useful to you guys.
edited 31st Dec '11 12:42:14 AM by punkreader
It is. Thanks for the report. If you should see one again, please get that "more details" info, too.
edited 31st Dec '11 4:37:15 AM by FastEddie
Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
Good. I've tried clicking on thar, but it doesn't give more info on whatever got blocked, just crows about the fact that it worked.
![[lol]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lol2v12_4863.png "[lol]"){kind=small}
Well, yeah. We won't be needing that.
Técnico Electromecánico
Got another one from internet explorer xss in the banners at the left, around this time and in the forums.
http:// ib. adnxs. com/ if?enc=uB6F61G4n j-4HoXrUbiePwAAAEAzM8M_uB6F61G4nj-4HoXrUbieP5wblRMgN-kiR1TLCvo0i0tDLQFPAAAAAJ2lCgA2AQAANgEAAAIAAABQTw0AkdgA AAEAAABVU 0 QAVVNEAKAAWA Kd MQA A1w 4 A Ag QCAQUAAIIANSIL Nw AAAAA.&udj=uf%28%27a%27%2C+35986%2C+1325477187%29%3Buf%28%27r%27%2C+872272%2C+1325477187%29%3B&cnd=! 8iSLggjh2gsQ0J41GAAgkbEDMAA4neMEQARItgJQncsqWABglwJ oAHDsCngAgAH0DYgBAJABAZgBAaABAagBALABALkBuB6F61G4nj_BAbgehetRuJ4_yQGamZmZmZm5P9kBAAAAAAAA8D_gAQA.&ccd=! Aw Vl Kwjh2gs Q 0 J 41 GJ Gx Ay AE&vpid=47&referrer=http ://optimized-by .rubiconproject .com/a/8777/14415/29991- 9.html%3F&media_subtypes=1
adnxs. com/if?enc=uB6F61G4nj-4HoXrUbiePwAAAEAzM8M_uB6F61G4nj-4HoXrUbieP-UEE Wn R It VQR 1 TL Cvo0i0vf LAFPAAAAA J2l Cg A 2 AQAA Ng EAAAIAAA Bc Q Tw 0 Akdg AAAEAAABVU 0 QAVVNEAKAAWA Kd MQA Aag QA Ag QCAQUAAIIA Ey N Klg AAAAA.&udj=uf%28%27 a%27%2C+35986%2C+1325477087%29%3Buf%28%27r%27%2C+872272%2C+1325477087%29%3B&cnd=!1iRFewjh2gsQ0J41GAAgkbEDMAA4neMEQARItgJQncsqWABg lwJoAHDcCngCgAHkDYgBApABAZgBAaABAagB ALABA Lk Bu B 6 F 61 G4nj_BAbgehetRuJ4_yQGamZmZmZm5P9kBAAAAAAAA 8D_gAQA.&ccd=!Aw Vl Kwjh2gs Q 0 J 41 GJ Gx Ay AE&vpid=47&ref errer=http:// optimized-by. rubiconproject .com/a/8777/1 4415/29991-9.html%3F&media _subtypes=1
The two looks to be from the same site but starts a little diferent.
Got a live one that's triggering IE's security and attempting to download files to my computer.
Flash ad from bannerfarm.ace.advertising.com. Was on the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game page.
I despise hypocrisy, unless of course it is my own.
I've been here for thirteen years and all I got
I've got that too, although it was while viewing this thread. No flash ads, just the regular Google link list to the left of my page. /shrug/
He/Him
I keep getting a download prompt on the forums on IE going
"Do you want to open or save token.js (38 bytes) from tap .rubiconproject. com?
edited 7th Jan '12 4:51:03 PM by Acebrock
My troper wall
Drummer Boy
^ I'm getting that, too.
The last battle's curtains will open on stage!
I had to temporarily turn off Java script coming from anywhere but TV Tropes on the wiki. There's a serious infection issue. I'm getting the same message as the rest of them.
edited 7th Jan '12 5:25:44 PM by shimaspawn
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
I was also getting that.
This has all been reported to the ad provider. Thanks for the reports. Remember, as much information as possible (the ad showing, the url of the ad, the region you are in, a screen shot, anyhting at all) will really help.
Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
Drummer Boy
Not sure if it's too late, since it's already been reported, but this
◊ is what Microsoft Security Essentials had to say about it.
Thanks. Everything helps.
Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
Response from the ad provider:
Okay - how do I upload and post it?