Wikipedia Warns Users About Malware Injecting Ads Into Its Pages

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Visitors to Wikipedia who see advertisements on the site have most likely fallen victim to a browser-based [FONT=inherit !important][FONT=inherit !important]malware [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=inherit !important][FONT=inherit !important]infection[/FONT][/FONT], Wikimedia Foundation, the organization operating the website, said on Monday.

"We never run ads on Wikipedia," said Philippe Beaudette, director of community advocacy for the Wikimedia Foundation, in a blog post. "If you're seeing advertisements for a for-profit industry ... or anything but our fundraiser, then your web browser has likely been infected with malware."

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscent...out_malware_injecting_ads_into_its_pages.html

 

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[h=2]Adware Stages Comeback Via Browser Extensions[/h]

The Wikimedia Foundation last week warned that readers who are seeing ads on Wikipedia articles are likely using a Web browser that has been infected with malware. The warning points to an apparent resurgence in adware and spyware that is being delivered via cleverly disguised browser extensions designed to run across multiple Web browsers and operating systems.

In a posting on its blog, Wikimedia noted that although the nonprofit organization is funded by more than a million donors and does not run ads, some users were complaining of seeing ads on Wikipedia entries. “If you’re seeing advertisements for a for-profit industry (see screenshot below for an example) or anything but our fundraiser, then your web browser has likely been infected with malware,” reads a blog post co-written by Philippe Beaudette, director of community advocacy at the Wikimedia Foundation.

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/05/...ign=Feed:+KrebsOnSecurity+(Krebs+on+Security)