TobaccoReviews and a Malware Warning

numbersix · Apr 1, 2013

I just rec'd this warning when trying to access one of the categories on tobaccoreviews.com:

I then went to send them an email and noticed that the email is the same address that Google says is a "know distributer of malware"
chuck [@] pipesandtobaccosmagazine.com
I've had sites hacked before and they can really mess you up but I am especially curious about the "know distributer of malware". Anyone know anything about this?

hfearly · Apr 1, 2013

I've had my Outlook and Google account broken in last week by a person named "Glennis Bradley" (glennisbradley21@talktalk.uk using his computer named "GlennisHP") according to the trace information living in Manchester UK and tunneling through a VPN in the Maledives. That's the first time in my 20+ years of internet use this has happened to me, ever. And I use very strong passwords. I've been wondering ever since how that person has pulled of this feat. I regularly visit tobaccoreviews.com on my Windows computers (my private PC and Tablet are Windows, my work machine is a Mac, I try to keep work and private life separate), and your post now makes me wonder if that message you posted is legit, it might just be a prime lead.

numbersix · Apr 1, 2013

I think it's probably a crap warning, like most are.

You could be right, but right now I am working on the assumption that it's a legit warning since it comes from my browser. There may be from a rogue ad or text link that pops up on the page now and then.
However, the "known malware distributer" seems questionable. I am wondering if the email address is legit (I've never tried to email them before, so I don't know).

rmbittner · Apr 1, 2013

Chrome has the best built-in solutions of any Web browser for keeping you safe from malicious content. I personally would trust it.
Bob

foggymountain · Apr 1, 2013

Thanks for the warning, Six.

admin · Apr 1, 2013

I think there is a possibility that it is a legit warning.
pipesandtobaccosmagazine.com is the website of what most refer to as P&T Magazine, which is a print magazine that's been around for years.
They took over ownership of TR.com a couple of years ago.
The site pipesandtobaccosmagazine.com is also owned by them, and that site uses WordPress as its CMS. WordPress has a lot of vulnerabilities and is prone to infections as it has a lot of holes, especially if you are using different plugins.
pipesandtobaccosmagazine.com can get infected, and then if they have some code from there, like a banner ad advertising the site on TR, then it can get embedded into TR as well.
I'm not clicking through to either site just in case, even though I am using Chrome as well, but my guess is there is some iframe hidden in there.
I'll email Chuck and show him this thread.

admin · Apr 1, 2013

Chuck already answered my email and they are on this now.

numbersix · Apr 1, 2013

Thanks Kevin.

brassonly · Apr 1, 2013

Good going guys, its crazy how there is a never ending amount of people trying to cause trouble online. Hopefully this gets sorted out soon cause thats a great site.

cigrmaster · Apr 1, 2013

I use Chrome exclusively and just clicked around on TR and received no warnings. Maybe they fixed what ever was going on.

igloo · Apr 2, 2013

I would wager a bet that the biggest malware offenders are Google and MSN . Sneaky SOB's .

moses · Apr 2, 2013

+1 igloo lol

kcghost · Apr 2, 2013

Google is not at all concerned about your privacy. I have seen people with gmail accounts receive spam for a generic product they were discussing in an email. And let's see, who is Chrome associated with??

hfearly · Apr 2, 2013

I have seen people with gmail accounts receive spam for a generic product they were discussing in an email.

No surprise there, you agree to them scanning your email to enable targeted advertising when you check "I agree to the Terms and Conditions" when signing up for Google Mail.
On the internet, if a product or service is for free, then you are not a customer - you are the product.

taerin · Apr 2, 2013

Well this is creepy, I thought they would at least leave our websites alone. Who wants to pick on us other than politicians? Apparently hackers do!

andrew · Apr 2, 2013

Does anybody have the name of a good reviewer on there? I find there's too many reviewers using that site who just don't know what their doing, as they give bad reviews to things like straight latkia and other blending tobacco's like straight stoved virginia or perique, all mixing tobacco's, which makes me not trust alot of reviews on whether the person has any idea what their doing.

tennsmoker · Apr 3, 2013

I like luxurytobaccoreviews.com much better than tobaccoreviews.
At one time, tobaccoreviews, imho, was pretty good. It gave me ideas and some insight into the tobacco I might be ordering. But now, I find that like andrew said, some of the people reviewing are just bumping their gums.

cigrmaster · Apr 4, 2013

andrew, I use some of the older reviewers on TR. Such as Tantric, Paddy, Eulenberg, Sykes Willford, Beer, Colonel Panic,Newman and Paul Tatum. I have found most of my favorites from these guys.

pipinho · Apr 12, 2013

thanks for the heads up

TobaccoReviews and a Malware Warning

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