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Thread: Fatwallet, XPbargains.com, etc links blocked by Immunize

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Default Fatwallet, XPbargains.com, etc links blocked by Immunize

    Since installing 1.5 and immunizing, I have had a problem where all links to items on fatwallet.com, a very popular internet deal forum for the USA that I visit frequently, fail to load. I also found a similar problem with links from XPbargains.com, another useful deal site. Yes, these sites operate by getting 'commission' when you click through the links, though fatwallet will give you back most of the commission with their cash back program if you bother to sign up for it.

    Anyway, spybot is blocking these types of links, which I dont think threaten most users, and is a great inconvenience to many users who would like to immunize and block real dangerous sites through the host file.

    I think the problem is that spybot blocks apmebf.com and emjcd.com and their www.* equivalents through the host file. I removed these entries and that fixed the problem for these sites. However, I would not be suprised if a few more such anonymous commission sites are being blocked. I am sure some spyware person has tried to use commission sites to make profit, but that does not mean those sites are only used for that.

    Then again, maybe I am wrong and some horrible rootkit has hijacked my pc to steal commission from all my clicks to pay for terrorism. But anyway, if these are just commission gathering sites used legitimately by people seeking to keep their bills paid while informing the public of good deals, it might be a good idea to unblock them or break up the host immunize option into a few categories, such as malicious, popup advertising, and normal advertising.

    I am just a college student, unaffiliated with these sites, and I took the time to register here and type this so I will not have to delete these few entries from my hosts file every time I immunize. I would appreciate it if others could look into this and help.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Yodama's Avatar
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    Default

    Thank you for your information on this issue.

    We checked this and will remove apmebf.com , emjcd.com and kqzyfj.com will be removed from the hosts and Internet Explorer immunization. The detection will be changed so that tracking cookies from these sites will be found, you can set Spybot S&D to ignore them.

    The changes will be released with the next update scheduled for the middle of next week.
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  3. #3
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    Default

    I would rather that they stay blocked personally, is there anynthing that would make you consider leaving them blocked ?

  4. #4
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Yodama View Post
    . . .

    The changes will be released with the next update scheduled for the middle of next week.
    Has this taken effect yet? I just updated but cannot find a means to allow apmebf.com, etc. . . . all necessary for sites like iGive.com, passwird.com and the like.

    Since I don't have very much free time to get into the intricacies of your application's settings, is there any chance you could create a FAQ to help people like me deal with making the correct changes to allow these pass-thru commission sites?

    Thanks!

  5. #5
    Senior Member Yodama's Avatar
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    Default

    hello,

    yes, the changes have taken effect.
    If you updated before you unimmunized, you may need to unimmunize again, and remove the sites manually from your IE settings. To do that go to Internet Options and navigate to the Security tab, there scroll to the right to the Restricted sites, click on sites and remove the sites, reimmunize.


    is there anynthing that would make you consider leaving them blocked
    To have a site blocked, we would need evidence that it is really malicious, like a phishing site or a driveby download site for instance. Since the sites deploy tracking cookies, the cookies will be detected by Spybot S&D.
    born in the shadow to die in the shadow, that is the fate of the shinobi

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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Qonquer View Post
    I would rather that they stay blocked personally, is there anynthing that would make you consider leaving them blocked ?
    There are only a few possible reasons to block those sites, and those reasons are not the reasons that people use spybot, so you should try to find or start a blocking program with different purposes.

    One reason is that you are a communist and don't like commerce or commissions. In this case, you would need to find a blocklist to block everything commercial from these sites to amazon.com.

    Another reason is that you don't like sites that could be used to make money for spyware or scams, in addition to more common legitimate uses. In this case, you would want a list that also blocks things like paypal.com.

    Another reason is that you don't want anyone getting commission from your purchases unless it is extremely obvious to you. You might argue that although you are not being charged extra, the net cost is causing the retailer to have slightly higher prices and the site doesn't deserve some 1.5% commission or whatever, even if they gave you the link to the product, because they didn't tell you about their motives. In this case, many sites full of such links and tactics such as fatwallet, google, yahoo, slickdeals, etc should be blocked, not just the linking mechanisms they use. Google absolutely does similar things and takes commissions. Good luck with getting spybot to agree to block google and yahoo.

    So anyway, I don't know what your motives are, as you didn't explain them, but these sites aren't the thing that spybot is supposed to block. If you want to block them, you can always add them to your hosts file yourself, and throw in paypal, google, and yahoo while you are at it.

  7. #7
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    Thank you for your reply Yodama.

    marccooper, I think you ought to just calm down, take a vallium and stop personally attacking/prejudging people who simply don't agree with you. Yodama had already answered my comment which was sufficient, there was no need for that rant. If I find evidence that those sites are malicious, then I will report it, if not, then there's no problem is there?
    Last edited by Qonquer; 2007-11-13 at 14:18. Reason: typo

  8. #8
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    Default i am unable to open cj links

    please help
    i had installed spybot
    after my cj links are not working
    i visited there forum and found the resolution to unimunize and it will work
    i did that than also it is not working
    i suppose it is blocking apmebf(dot)com
    after that i uninstalled it than also same problem is there
    the links were working before i ad insatlled it
    can anybody help me to solve this
    i read that there is some host file i need to modify than it will work
    is it like that. than how can i do that

    i have uninstalled spybot than also i am having same problem

  9. #9
    Spybot Advisor Team [Retired] md usa spybot fan's Avatar
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    Default

    Access to apmebf.com is blocked by Spybot's Resident "SDHelper" as a Blacklisted URL:

    Code:
    mm/cc/yyyy hh:mm:ss xM  Blocked HTTP://WWW.APMEBF.COM/: /MediaPlex (Blacklisted URL)
    To stop "SDHelper" from blocking this URL, go into Internet Explorer > Tools > select "Spybot – Search Destroy Configuration" > then in the "Spybot-S&D - Configuration" window in the "Settings" tab under "When encountering bad things" there are three options:
    options:
    • Block all pages silently
    • Display dialog when blocking
    • Ask for blocking confirmation
    Select "Ask for blocking confirmation" and click "OK".

    When you encounter a URL that would ordinarily just be blocked in "Block all pages silently" mode, Spybot will issue a "Spybot-S&D Bad URL Blocker" dialog. The dialog allows you to either "Allow" or "Deny" the access and also to select among the following options:
    • Ask me again next time
    • Remember for this session
    • Always react this way

    When you encounter a "Spybot-S&D Bad URL Blocker" dialog about a blocked URL for apmebf.com, select "Always react this way" and then "Allow" the access.
    __________________

    Additional note: Spybot's immunization process adds apmebf.com to the registry to stop the storing of cookies from apmebf.com. If you encounter any problems related to blocked cookies from apmebf.com:
    • Go into Internet Explorer > Tools > Internet options > Privacy tab.
    • Then in the "Settings" section click the "Sites" button.
    • In the "Per Site Privacy Actions" dialog section near the bottom titled "Managed websites", scroll down to "apmebf.com" you will see that it says "Always Block".
    • Highlight the entry by clicking on it and then click the "Remove" button.
    • Back out of the dialogs by clicking "OK" followed by "OK".

    __________________

    Also note: Since apmebf.com is no longer being placed in the restricted zone by Spybot's Immunization and only the cookies from that site are being blocked, I suspect that the URL being blocked by Spybot's "SDHelper" is an error.

    Getting an answer is one thing, learning is another.


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  10. #10
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    Default

    Ok. So I have been dealing with this problem for about 3 months now. It really screwed up my holiday shopping. I tried every fix on this page and even the fixes on Ebates and Fatwallet. Still cannot solve the problem. HELP!!!! There has to be another way out there somewhere that will actually work. I am running Windows XP with the latest Security Pack. I have Lavasoft's adaware and Spybot installed as well as MacAfee security. Anyone have any suggestions??????

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