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[ALERT] SafeDownloads - "Freeware" sites
Topic Started: Jun 15 2005, 10:56 PM (1,231 Views)
Sirin Jun 15 2005, 10:56 PM Post #1
Member
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Quote:
 
I was checking out a " freeware" site and I thought I'd try out this cool " free" game called Penguin Panic. It looked like fun. I started up my Install monitoring program and began installing it. The first screen said that this program is spyware free. The second screen wanted me to install New.net (adware) and it also told me I had to install more of it's " sponsor" programs. I quit while I was ahead. The interesting thing about it for me was tracking the source. I noticed the download was coming from safedownloads.net (sounds safe doesn't it?). The affiliates listed at the bottom of the safedownloads home page are: WhenU, comScore, and New.net. That's almost like a who's who listing of adware companies. I found the Penguin Panic program listed as freeware at several websites with the file coming from the same source and also downloadsmanager.com which is blocked on my PC by at least one of my security programs. I even found this program reviewed at a freeware forum I post in. I'll be sure to let them know about this. If you ever go to any of the websites below, BEWARE.

Quote from the website - Our network includes the following sites:

Free-Games.to
Free-Windows-Games.com
DownloadFree-Games.com
FreeComputer-Games.com
FreePC-Games.com
Download-Free-ScreenSavers.com
FreeWallpaperBackgrounds.com
Free-Games-ScreenSavers-Wallpaper.com
DownloadFreeSoftware.net
MP3MusicSearch.net

Plus a number of affiliate sites

Our partners include:

WhenU
comScore
New.net


Source: Clif Notes newsletter

More entries to add to your hosts file/restricted sites;

127.0.0.1 safedownloads.net
127.0.0.1 70.85.115.130 #safedownloads.net IP
127.0.0.1 Free-Games.to
127.0.0.1 70.85.115.133 #Free-Games.to IP
127.0.0.1 Free-Windows-Games.com
127.0.0.1 70.85.115.134 #Free-Windows-Games.com
127.0.0.1 DownloadFree-Games.com
127.0.0.1 70.85.115.135 #DownloadFree-Games.com
127.0.0.1 FreeComputer-Games.com
127.0.0.1 70.85.115.137 #FreeComputer-Games.com
127.0.0.1 FreePC-Games.com
127.0.0.1 70.85.115.136 #FreePC-Games.com
127.0.0.1 Download-Free-ScreenSavers.com
127.0.0.1 70.85.115.139 #Download-Free-ScreenSavers.com
127.0.0.1 FreeWallpaperBackgrounds.com
127.0.0.1 70.85.115.140 #FreeWallpaperBackgrounds.com
127.0.0.1 Free-Games-ScreenSavers-Wallpaper.com
127.0.0.1 70.85.115.130 #Free-Games-ScreenSavers-Wallpaper.com, MP3MusicSearch.net
127.0.0.1 DownloadFreeSoftware.net
127.0.0.1 70.85.115.138 #DownloadFreeSoftware.net
127.0.0.1 MP3MusicSearch.net
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RagingFuryBlack-ZNS Jun 15 2005, 11:50 PM Post #2
Member
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 *RagingFuryBlack laughs at windows user

*RagingFuryBlack pokes the fact that i lack spyware.
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Seth Jun 16 2005, 12:07 AM Post #3
Member Avatar
I has a pony
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RagingFuryBlack
June 15, 2005 10:50 PM
*RagingFuryBlack laughs at windows user

*RagingFuryBlack pokes the fact that i lack spyware.

*Seth giggles.
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Zero Resistance-ZNS Jun 16 2005, 04:54 AM Post #4
eÜil Zero lÖrd™
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Seth
June 15, 2005 11:07 PM
RagingFuryBlack
June 15, 2005 10:50 PM
*RagingFuryBlack laughs at windows user

*RagingFuryBlack pokes the fact that i lack spyware.

*Seth giggles.

*Zero Resistance is confused, and goes on to babble about yesterday.
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Sipefree Jun 16 2005, 10:54 AM Post #5
Moved to paid hosting.
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 *Sipefree has forgotten what a Start menu looks like. :D
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Shaun Jun 16 2005, 12:14 PM Post #6
iLuv YOU ^_^
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Sipefree
June 16, 2005 02:54 PM
*Sipefree has forgotten what a Start menu looks like. :D

*Wind Mage has teh Linux, so is safe and still remembers the Windows menu. :)
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Sirin Jun 16 2005, 12:45 PM Post #7
Member
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Sipefree
June 16, 2005 10:54 AM
*Wind Mage has teh Linux, so is safe and still remembers the Windows menu. :)

*Sirin also uses a PowerMac G5 Dual with MAC OSX Tiger, and is safe and secure. :eh:
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drangonsile Jun 16 2005, 12:52 PM Post #8
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 *Drangonsile wants the 3rd person to stop and tells you that freeware is dangerous. So use OSS.
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Candyguitar Jun 16 2005, 01:08 PM Post #9
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Member
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 *Candyguitar notices that everyone starts their posts with a * and their name in red.

*Candyguitar tells everyone that you should only get freeware from a trusted source.
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Luke6006 Jun 16 2005, 04:10 PM Post #10
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 I'd never trust them websites anyway.
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Sirin Jun 16 2005, 05:44 PM Post #11
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Luke2005
June 16, 2005 04:10 PM
I'd never trust them websites anyway.

Because they're cheap, inexperienced, and too spyware-savvy.

http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http%3A%...software.net%2F :r
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Stefan Jun 16 2005, 06:27 PM Post #12
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Mew?
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Sirin
June 16, 2005 11:44 PM

That's pretty much irrelevant :ermm:

Cheap?
Inexperienced?
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