I need help please in getting rid of all the pop-ups I believe are being caused by ib.adnxs which I'm seeing in IE and Firefox. I am running a Windows 8 64-bit system with Norton 360 installed.
Thanks
I too have been infected with ib.adnxs. Requests to Norton support were not helpful. Both reps I contacted denied this was a virus (perhaps technically it was not, but it is still an nasty infection). They were no help in removing it. I finally did a system restore to an earlier date and I am not having any more problems.
I suspect that I received this from downloading a free program (that had a good reputation), and Norton verified it as being safe.
I need help please in getting rid of all the pop-ups I believe are being caused by ib.adnxs which I'm seeing in IE and Firefox. I am running a Windows 8 64-bit system with Norton 360 installed.
Thanks
Hi, cpdon; thanks for the additional info. That pretty much confirms it's a PUP.
These are problematic, since they don't actually do any harm (other than being extremely annoying), because the company whose software you downloaded gets paid to bundle the PUP with their software. Typically you're given the option to uncheck it during installation (buried as discreetly as possible in the umpteenth installation screen), which allows them to claim that you said you wanted it. Makes it very difficult for Norton to say, well, those two companies entered into a contract saying all users would be offered this, and you the user said you wanted it (by not unchecking that box you never saw)...but Norton knows better than any of the actual parties to the transaction and is going to remove this piece of software that doesn't damage or steal anything anyhow.
In my estimation these things represent a deliberate strategy in the sleazier side of the adware community, and are going to get worse. The security companies--perhaps in collaboration with national legislatures--are going to have to figure out a way to respond, so we don't keep getting them inflicted on us despite the best security software money can buy.
In the meantime, there are several things we can do to "up-armor" our systems against these threats. First, we can leave Norton with the all-important taks of keeping hackers and genuine malware off our systems, but back it up with a good secondary scanner like the free versions only of malwarebytes or superantispyware, which focus more on adware and unwanted toolbars. Second, I have recently heard of a new product called Unchecky, which will monitor your system for PUPs during installation of those programs you actually want, which have been paid to bundle them:
Note that I cannot vouch for this software; I just saw a good review of it from a reputable columnist. So use or lose at your own discretion and risk.
And finally, when we discover a site that has a "clean" rating from Norton--based only on automated analysis (which just looks for malware, and wouldn't flag on PUPs) without any user reviews, we can go to the SafeWeb website, type in the site that burned us, and file an unfavorable review:
Sometimes it takes a network to defeat a network....
V/R,
--DistEd2