Maytag Search Pop-Up Box -- A Bug?

[rp2813]

This morning I've noticed that a couple of threads with the word "Maytag" in their titles are producing a search box with advertising links when hovering over the word Maytag, which appears in blue and is underscored unlike the rest of the thread title which appears in red and is not underscored. 

 

I noticed after hitting the post button that my thread appeared in the usual way (as if just opened) with the word Maytag in this thread's title highlighted in blue.  When I went to edit it to add this information, I was taken to a new screen with Maytag links.

 

This appears to be happening on the main forum page only on threads launched today, 9/21, but it also happens on older threads after they're opened -- the term "Maytag" is blue and links to an advertising box.  I just noticed it's doing it with KitchenAid as well. 

 

I also got a strange little pop-up that I couldn't determine what it was for, had no option to close, but it disappeared somehow.  I logged out and logged back in, and it's still happening.

 

Robert, is this a bug or something new?  My status shows as logged in, and I'm a paying member.

 

Thanks,

 

Ralph

 

[rp2813]

Now it's also happening with the term "detergent All" in another thread title, but it's no longer doing it with "KitchenAid."  But when I open the "Dutch detergent All" thread, the word "Dutch" is blue, not the term "detergent all."  This is getting weirder.

 

Am I the only one having this issue?  Is it my browser (Firefox)?  XP?

 

[Unimatic1140]

Ralph there are viruses out there that you can catch that can do this, I remember last year that another member had this same problem and it turned out it had nothing to do with the site and was a virus that he caught somewhere else. In time he saw it happening on other sites as well. I also remember that he was able to pinpoint what it was by doing a google search and he was able to remove it.

I have no way of knowing for sure, but I assume this could be another issue like that. Can you try another browser and see. I don't see any of this myself and no advertising code is rendered in any way for upgraded members.

Also to be clear I can't stand those underlined in text hover ads and I would never purposely add that to any site that I own.

 

[rp2813]

Thanks for reminding me Robert.  I was going to run a scan and then forgot.  I'll bet you're right.  I'll let you know.

 

[rp2813]

The scan found a number of threats and removed them, but there's no change here on AW.  I'll have to look into this further since it appears to be an issue with my system and not AW's.

 

[rp2813]

Since a scan didn't help, I searched the name of the site that was hijacking links and giving me the hover boxes (coupondropdown.com) and read that it's often included in freeware downloads.  I removed a recently downloaded freeware video file conversion program and a suspicious (to Mozilla) toolbar updater, and the trouble seems to have cleared.

 

Note to self:  Next freeware download, select the "custom" install option.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Thanks for the update Ralph, I'm glad you were able to pinpoint and fix the issue.