New Web Attack Hijacks Your Clipboard
by Terrence O'Brien, posted Aug 18th 2008 at 3:01PM



An interesting new Web attack is making the rounds that hijacks your computer's clipboard and uses it against you. The code has been found lurking in Flash-based advertisements on legitimate web sites (we knew there was a reason we hated Flash).

So what does this new Web attack do? It places a link (that is difficult to delete) to a Web site selling fake security software in your clipboard. The infection automatically flushes your clipboard any time you copy or cut text to it and replaces it with the bogus link.

What has security experts concerned is its potential to become widespread. The software has been found on both Macs and PCs and even targets users of alternative browsers such as Firefox. This new attack is particularly hard to protect yourself and defend against, especially considering the attack's proven ability to lurk in plain sight on legitimate Web sites.

Some users have reported success in thwarting the attack by simply killing Firefox from the task manager or rebooting but, as always, we recommend up-to-date security software; including virus protection and spyware protection. The truly paranoid can stop the attack before it happens by installing Flashblock, an add-on for Firefox that will prevent any Flash-based content from loading without your specific consent. [From: BBC]

http://www.switched.com/2008/08/18/new-web-attack-hijacks-your-clipboard//?icid=200100397x1207669202x1200402906

I wasn't sure if I should post this here or in the computer section.

Beware always folks.

Thanks for the warning Dragoness

Is that what's happening on THIS SITE? All sorts of new ads on here, and they are more "in the face". Although, I haven't been using my clipboard.

And, the link you had listed here has changed from a mingle topic link to what I see now. Hmmmm!! Or did you change it? What is going on?

This is what I can't stand about computers. And what makes advertisers think that cramming stuff down my throat will make me want to patronize them?