Microsoft.Windows.RedirectedHosts?

[Reggie Stry]

I just installed version 1.6.1.41 and after my first scan, the only results were six Microsoft.Windows.RedirectedHosts (see below). It appears the three sites listed (experts-exchange.com, ask.com, and spywareinfo.com) were being blocked by my HPHosts HOSTS file.

Rather than clean the results, I elected to replace the HPHosts file with the MVPS HOSTS file, which doesn't block the three sites in question.

Further research, however, indicates that perhaps they should be blocked.
Spywareinfo has been sold and is now a questionable site. There are alerts around the web to block it. See discussion here:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r21545567-SpywareInfocom-bad-news

The old Spywareinfo forums are now at:

http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/


According to this thread, Spywareinfo.com is now pushing rogue programs:

http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=121410&st=0&p=668221&#entry668221


As far as Experts-exchange.com and Ask.com are concened, this thread says the sites are explained as following on the HPHOSTS index:

http://www.windowsbbs.com/windows-xp/72323-parental-control-using-xp.html

* ask.com: Classification = EMD
* experts-exchange.com: Classification = PSH

EMD - sites engaged in malware distribution
PSH - sites engaged in Phishing


I think you should reconsider the MS Windows Redirected Hosts findings.
At the very least, the definitions for Spywareinfo.com should be researched and possibly changed.

Rather than clean these results, I think I'm going to reload the HpHOSTS file.




Spybot S&D scan results:

Microsoft.Windows.RedirectedHosts: [SBI $97C2C277] Redirected host (Redirected host, nothing done)
www.experts-exchange.com=127.0.0.1

Microsoft.Windows.RedirectedHosts: [SBI $926098F7] Redirected host (Redirected host, nothing done)
experts-exchange.com=127.0.0.1

Microsoft.Windows.RedirectedHosts: [SBI $50A211D0] Redirected host (Redirected host, nothing done)
spywareinfo.com=127.0.0.1

Microsoft.Windows.RedirectedHosts: [SBI $017CD8CA] Redirected host (Redirected host, nothing done)
www.spywareinfo.com=127.0.0.1

Microsoft.Windows.RedirectedHosts: [SBI $C1DEB1AF] Redirected host (Redirected host, nothing done)
ask.com=127.0.0.1

Microsoft.Windows.RedirectedHosts: [SBI $25161DD4] Redirected host (Redirected host, nothing done)
www.ask.com=127.0.0.1

[Yodama]

Thank you for reporting this issue.


spywareinfo.com
will be blocked in the future. It now does advertise a lot of "scareware"


ask.com
will not be blocked by Spybot S&D, in the past it was known as askjeeves and was at times not so legit and was therefore blocked in many hosts files. Currently "ask" is about on the same legit level as google, yahoo and msn, if you decide to block one of these you should block all.

with
experts-exchange.com
we have the problem with every social network, it can always be misused to gather user data. It is very hard to prove that the owners of the site are using it for phishing or other malicious activities, therefore the site will not be blocked until such activities can be proved.