For the second time in less than six months, visitors to the Drudge Report say they got malware in addition to the Web site’s usual sensational headlines.
Matt Drudge denied that his site was infecting visitors, however it’s likely that the malware is coming from ads delivered by a third-party ad network and not the site itself.
“I can personally vouch for disinfecting my mom’s desktop yesterday after visiting this Web page, even taking a screenshot after beginning remedial steps to address the attempted infection,” a CNET reader wrote in an e-mail early on Tuesday. “I’m an IT professional in South Carolina so I know and understand the technology involved.”
The screenshot the reader provided to CNET shows a pop-up warning the viewer that the system is infected with malware and looks like a typical fake antivirus warning that criminals use to scare people into paying for software they don’t need.
The reader, who asked to remain anonymous, said he did not know exactly where on the site his mother had clicked before the fake warning appeared.
It’s very possible that the malware came via an ad. Many Web sites outsource the serving of their ads and ad networks have been used to deliver malware to sites since last year, affecting sites as prominent as The New York Times.
Call it Scareware… I have seen a lot of these in the last year or so. As far as I can tell, you have to download and install this malware for any damage to occur, thus it’s not really considered a virus. Don’t fall for it.
