InformAction Forums

Hi,

I cam across an issue when browsing I site, namely : http://www.videogameimports.com/ :

The issue is, if noscript is enabled, when I browse the site using the dropdowns, when you select the list button, you get your selection from the site, but also a whole list of advert links.

When I disable noscript, they go away. If I use Safari I also do not have this problem.

I tried this out on my intel mac mini and my Macbook, with the same results.

I thought it was something up with my mini, until I checked on my Macbook and with other browsers.

I'm running the current versions of noscript and also SnowLeopard btw.

Anyways, just puzzled, any ideas?

Not sure what to expect on that site, but nothing seems out of place that I see?

PS2 | Platform Action | US

I get 3 games (or whatever they are) displayed.
No kinds of ads that I have seen?

Any other selections I've tried give similar results, with no ads?
Same results in "list" mode & with pictures.

(I've disabled Adblock Plus, & the only site I see to Allow is videogameimports.)

Ok, here is what I get with noscript enabled;

And here it is after its disabled;

Well, these links are inside a <noscript> tag, so you would see them with JavaScript disabled.

Stealthy blackhat SEO, maybe?

That list is the expected behavior on that site if JavaScript is disabled, which I confirmed by disabling JavaScript in a Firefox test profile that has no extensions by unchecking Tools > Options > Content > Enable JavaScript. Allowing videogameimports.com in NoScript eliminates them.

Edit: Guest beat me to it!

(Man, I missing a lot today .)

Thanks for the replies.

Bear with me but, why would the hacker have it so that links appear when you disable javascript?

Very few people have it disabled, so if they want to get there links out there, then only a few people will see it.

Also as I am running no-script I am now potentially at risk from clicking on a link. In other words, no-script has whipped away the cloth so that I can see everything, but I could potentially be exposed by links that would otherwise be hidden, unless I allow java on the site.

I know absolutely nothing about this sort of thing, so I am a bit lost when you mention black hats etc.

Should I tell the store owner (I know him), that he should liaise with whoever did his webpage, as it is infected with something nasty?

_PAUL77 wrote:Bear with me but, why would the hacker have it so that links appear when you disable javascript?

Because they're meant not to be seen by human users (and especially by the site's owner, who would otherwise remove them), but only to be parsed by search engines in order to increase the "relevance" or the "ranking" of the destination sites, which pay for this borderline illegal service.

Thank you very much everyone, for all your feedback.

I will inform the site owner.

Internet high fives all round!