HTTP 403 errors - spyware/malware caused?

[rosede]

I have a friend who is on AOL. He has a small business and a web site for that business. Lately he's been getting HTTP 403 errors when he tries to view his website via AOL. His site is accessible if AOL is not being used. I've been tring to help him figure out if its an issue with AOL, or perhaps something on his system. I learned that AOL uses IE for the browser, so I decided to install the latest FireFox release and see if we can circumvent AOL.

We don't get HTTP 403 errors with FF, rather we simply get a 0 (zero). I installed Spybot S&D and downloaded all updates. We found only a single browser hijack and a few tracking cookies, but nothing else. I also ran HiJackThis, but that turned up a big nothing.

AOL swears up and down that they can access his site from their systems, but we've had another AOL user try it and they also get the HTTP 403 error. I would think that if it was AOL that FF would be able to get to the site because its independent of AOL & IE.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks.

Daryl

[md usa spybot fan]

rosede:

What is the site?

AOL sometimes adds third party advertisements to displayed web pages. Spybot's IE Resident Browser Helper Object (BHO using SDHelper.dll) blocks the display of many third party advertisements. If AOL is attempting to add displays of third party advertisements to the your friends site that are being blocked by Spybot's BHO, that may be the cause of the "HTTP 403 errors when he tries to view his website via AOL".

To Test of "SDHelper" is the cause of the problem disable "SDHelper" (but that exposes a user to banner ads that they may not want). To disable "SDHelper":
Go into Spybot > Mode > Advanced Mode > Tools > Resident. Under the heading "Resident protection status" you will see: Resident "SDHelper" (Internet Explorer bad download blocker) active.
Resident "TeaTimer" (Protection of over-all system settings) active.
Uncheck:
Resident "SDHelper" (Internet Explorer bad download blocker) active.
Exit Internet Explorer and restart it.

[rosede]

The name of the site is: Oriental Ventures. http://www.orientalventures.com/

Spybot isn't blocking the site. I just recently installed S&D to see if there was spyware/malware or browser hijacking causing the problem.

My personal opinion is; AOL is blocking the site. We've test this several different ways. I can access the site. The site designer can access it, however we asked another AOL user to try, and they also got the HTTP 403 error. But in order to prove to AOL that the problem is on their end, we have to verify that we've checked everything on our end. What really confused me was when FF only returned a 0 (zero). No HTTP errors, or anything.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Daryl

[md usa spybot fan]

rosede:

I'm sorry but I don't have any other suggestions.