Just got my computer back after technicians wiped hard drive to destroy malware. I uploaded a video of my layout to my photobucket account. When I got back to the computer, it was infected with malware that seriously damaged several files and programs. I had sent the link to the video to my best friend. After viewing on photobucket & leaving, he also got the same messages I got. Fortunately, he knew to turn off his computer manually without hitting ANY key or move mouse.
Maybe it is coincidental that we got the same malware attack after visiting photobucket, but we have other relatives who suspect infection that way, too.
Anyone else have this happen? Beware, if your computer shows a window saying you may have infected files (even though it looks like an microsoft icon), you should turn off the computer manually without touching anything else.
This cost me almost $200 and I lost quit a few files. My bad for not doing a better job of backing up. It might be a cold day in hell before I go back to photobucket unless some of you know something I don't. Maybe it is only at my account. I won't send anyone else there.
Boy, am I glad I didn't post the link here. Stay safe.
Charlie
Thanks for the warning. I have a Photobucket account...was just planning to use it for distributing some wedding photos...think I will wait a day.
Anyone else have any feedback?
runtime
yes, photobucket has been overcome with viruses, trojans, adware, etc. Its been like that for the last couple of months, Just google it. there will be more info then you can read in a lifetime. If i was you i would never use photobucket again.
It's food for thought. I, too, have a photobucket account.
I have not lost any files, but yesterday when I did my weekly full scan of my 4 computers my security program found an Exploit virus that was not there last week. It was only on this computer, the one I use to access this forum and photobucket.
I don't know that that is where I got it, but...
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Thanks for the info. Guess we should look for a new way to post photos.
I have nevver had missing or damaged files. All I get is a fake popup saying I am infected to the hilt. I just restart it.
DubI have nevver had missing or damaged files. All I get is a fake popup saying I am infected to the hilt. I just restart it
That's what my friend did. Clicking on the popup, or anything else, according to my friend, is what activates the infection.
wyomingscout This cost me almost $200 and I lost quit a few files. My bad for not doing a better job of backing up. It might be a cold day in hell before I go back to photobucket unless some of you know something I don't. Maybe it is only at my account. I won't send anyone else there.
If your computer gets infected like that in the future, try doing a "system restore" to a safe point before you got the infection. If the infection prevents you from performing any normal Windows functions, you can reboot into "Safe Mode" and do a system restore from there. That approach has worked for me in the past, and a system restore will usually preserve your personal data files.
I tried to 'restore' but the malware wouldn't let me. I even went into DOS to delete the directory (folder) the malware was in - spydoctor. Wouldn't let me; said I didn't have the privileges to delete the .dll files. I didn't think of safe mode, but the pros I took it to couldn't even get that to work. This is a very bad bug once it gets in.
hi guys I reported this on other forum my virus control detected a meir trojan so I left and later requested to close my account won't go back again.
YES .... THERE IS A DAMAGING TROJAN on photobucket !!
Yup..beware!
took all day yesterday to fix
a restore seemed to work, but had to run a few different anti virus programs to clean out the virus
I'm pretty sure it was from Photobucket,
this happened once before on that site but I was able to "ctrl alt delete" and kill the task
this time I wasn't at the computer when it hit, by the time I saw it most everything was disabled.
My wife got a virus called either 'Antivirus Live' or 'Antivirus Soft' after going on photobucket. It is a malicious virus that prevents one from doing anything else on the computer. It is also very difficult to get rid of. The filenames and directories are random so you can't just scan the computer for a specific filename or directory and the Registry entries are also random.
Caution: Neither Norton Antivirus, McAffee Antivirus, nor Avast detects the virus at this time.
I finally was able to get rid of the virus after two days of work and a lot of investigating. I don't know if this is a new virus or a re-incarntation of an older virus, but all of the posts that I read about the virus were written since Nov 2009 and most were written in the last few days. The sites showing how to get rid of the virus were written in the last two weeks.
Earl
Guys ... goto the web search for avast antivirus ... it's free and set it up for constant protection .. will stop the connection dead in it's tracks before it can get ya ...
My wife has Avast on her computer and it didn't catch it. I am not aware of any antivirus software that detects the virus at this time. Folks on the websites that discuss the virus report that Norton and McAffee don't detect it either. I also downloaded a tool from Microsoft that is supposed to clean infected computers and that also did not detect the virus. It might be pretty new.
My AVAST caught it and blocked the connection so I would'nt get it ... " ABORTED CONNECTION == DANGEROUS VIRUS DETECTED ON THIS SITE " came up and let me shut down the link .... connection . It asks if you want to abort after the warning ... if you don't then that's how you'll get it .
I think, from reading various reports on the photobucket virus, that there is more then one virus on the site because different folks are reporting at least two distinct sets of symptoms, and maybe more. That might explain why Avast caught the virus on your machine and not on my wif's computer. They might have been different viruses. BTW, I saw one post stating Photobucket had found and eradicated the virus. I don't know if his post was valid or not, but I am no going on Photobucket to find out.
How does one get infected with the virus at Photobucket? Do you get it just by logging on, or do you get it when you download something from the site?
"Avira" found mine, however had to run it a few times before it was fully cleaned out.
The question now is which picture hosting site should I use?
There are some which direct you to their site which I don't want, rather one that has a direct link to the picture. The way photobucket works.
I have had good luck with Shutterfly.com - you can copy the properties of a photo as a direct link
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
I have both Photobucket and Shutterfly, I prefer Photobucket. But since the virus problem came up I have stayed away from Photobucket. I don't believe I have any bugs from Photobucket imbedded in my computer, at least so far I have not noticed any irregularities.
Bill T.
8ntruckHow does one get infected with the virus at Photobucket? Do you get it just by logging on, or do you get it when you download something from the site
8ntruck, it doesn't seem to matter. I got it by uploading a video & my friend got it from viewing the video at my photobucket account.
He immediately manually shut down his computer & avoided any problems. Unfortunately, I didn't.
As soon as i tried to connect ... not even view or upload or download ... a virus tried to invade my computer .. DON'T EVEN CLICK ON THE LINK !!!
that's the key, close that task as fast as you can without clicking on anything else
I am trying out Flickr, seems to work as well as Photobucket
This stinks I had pictures of my son at the Pennsylvaina Railroad Museum on there that I want but I'm not going to risk going on the site. I have Norton and Webroot antiviruses and the Webroot caught the virus and deleted it. I guess I'll try Flickr.
Just caught up with this thread again. Gotta love the forum!
Thought I'd post a response to get the thread back up front, as a public service.
Guess I'll have to establish an account on one of the other photo services.
Thanks guys.
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