adding to favorites

M

Mark Barr

Can Someone please help

I am trying to prove that it is possible for a website to automatically
enter itself into your favorites without your knowledge

can anyone give me any links to any web sites that shpow how this is done or
have some code so I can prove it

I really need this and would greatly appreciate it

Mark
 
M

Michel

That's coherent to cheating your visitor.
Might be revolutionary for you... but serious people wouldn't come back to
your page
People rather choose to bookmark and put url's in appropriate folders.
Think about it.

michel
 
M

Mark Barr

Hi Michel

i agree and thats my point

i am being accused of having websites in my favorites list that i know I
have never visited

I am trying to prove that it is possible

I know pressing CTRL+D will bookmark a website without telling you

is it possible to simulate that on a web page

I really need help

Thanks

mark
 
W

Wÿrm

Hi Michel
i agree and thats my point

i am being accused of having websites in my favorites list that i know I
have never visited

Ah, so you mean that site you __never have visited __ have bookmarked you
automatically when you __HAVE been__ there? ;) After all that "code" must
been somewhere, no?

I am trying to prove that it is possible

I know pressing CTRL+D will bookmark a website without telling you

is it possible to simulate that on a web page

I really need help

Thanks

mark

My bet would be that it's more likely some program, trojan, or spyware in
your system that would have "bookmarked" that place if you have mysterious
bookmarks.
 
M

Mark Barr

Hi WYrm

yes I have had some pop up appear. You Know we are talking about porn sites
here

I have never directly visited them but have had pop up to porn sites before
from normal web pages.

I just need to prove it is possible for a web site to automatically add
itself to your favorites

any help is appreciated.

mark
 
B

Bertilo Wennergren

Mark said:
yes I have had some pop up appear. You Know we are talking about porn sites
here
I have never directly visited them but have had pop up to porn sites before
from normal web pages.
I just need to prove it is possible for a web site to automatically add
itself to your favorites

In Microsoft Explorer anything is possible. I suggest you use a securer
browser.
 
M

Michel

lol.... I'd second that.

And, yes... I suppose it's possible.
You know I have found, on more than one occasion, this asswiping program
called GATOR on several computers, including my own, without any
recollection of clicking: "YES I WANNA have that stupid croc on my pc" on
either one of 'm.

Spyware and addware.

Any website appearing in my bookmarks, without me knowing about it, is damn
well sure to end up in my untrusted list..... no matter how good it is.
 
T

Toby A Inkster

Mark said:
I just need to prove it is possible for a web site to automatically add
itself to your favorites

I'm not sure that it is. Internet Explorer (and most other browsers) have
Javascript functions that will bookmark pages, but they always pop up
windows saying something along the lines of "Do you really want a
bookmark? If so, where do you want it and what do you want it to be called?"

In Internet Explorer, ActiveX may provide a loophole around the popup.

But it is more likely that you have installed some piece of software that
has added the bookmarks. Lots of file sharing programs do this apparently.
 
N

Nick Theodorakis

Can Someone please help

I am trying to prove that it is possible for a website to automatically
enter itself into your favorites without your knowledge

can anyone give me any links to any web sites that shpow how this is done or
have some code so I can prove it

PC Magazine ran an article a few months ago about spyware; I don't
know if it will answer your specific question, but it will give you a
general idea about what kind of mischief is around. See:

<http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,977889,00.asp>

I might also suggest that you upgrade to a more secure browser.

Nick
 
W

Wÿrm

And, yes... I suppose it's possible.
You know I have found, on more than one occasion, this asswiping program
called GATOR on several computers, including my own, without any
recollection of clicking: "YES I WANNA have that stupid croc on my pc" on
either one of 'm.

Spyware and addware.

Any website appearing in my bookmarks, without me knowing about it, is damn
well sure to end up in my untrusted list..... no matter how good it is.

Gator and other spyware is installed quite often by different P2P programs
like kazaa, imesh and such. Their lisences probably mention (very nicely
hidden so if you do not read all text you do not see that...) they are gonna
install some "3rd party" stuffs or something, and when you do not bother to
read and just hit AGREE (=with that you GIVE permission for them DO such
thing that is) and install things... Well, what else there is expected
besides lotsa spyware in system :)

There are some cases when gator, bonzi buddy etc kinda junk are installed
without mention in lisence, but those cases one can complaint about that
actually to creator of program and companies behind that particular
spyware... Then again, complaining might not work.

Best is not install any junk, or if you do install things, atleast DO run
AdAware (www.lavasoft.de) and/or Spybot Seek & Destroy
(http://security.kolla.de) and maybe also Spywareblaster
http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html just to be sure that in
your system no extra crap is installed
 
N

News

Sounds to me like You are just unwilling to admit to your gal that you've
been bashing the bishop behind her back.... I don't know of any code that
can do this... Unless you have ticked a "don't show me this message again"
in one of microsofts multiple magic boxes.

Dy.
 
M

Mark Barr

Its not my girlfriend its my boss

i have never surfed for porn at work and yet in my favorites it has links to
porn sites

need to prove its possible otherwise I will loose my job

thats why I am trying to prove it

Mark

News said:
Sounds to me like You are just unwilling to admit to your gal that you've
been bashing the bishop behind her back.... I don't know of any code that
can do this... Unless you have ticked a "don't show me this message again"
in one of microsofts multiple magic boxes.

Dy.
 
D

Daniel Ruscoe

Mark Barr said:
i have never surfed for porn at work and yet in my favorites it has links to
porn sites

need to prove its possible otherwise I will loose my job

But does he really think you're daft enough to bookmark porn on work's
PC? Surely there's an argument there.

Can you check the logs for mention of the sites in question before their
discovery in your Favorites?
 
R

rf

Mark Barr said:
Its not my girlfriend its my boss

i have never surfed for porn at work and yet in my favorites it has links to
porn sites

need to prove its possible otherwise I will loose my job

thats why I am trying to prove it

Dunno about your country but over here that would be a prime cause to sue
your employer for wrongfull dismissal [1].

Things to consider:

Did you sign a contract that, for example, precludes you from looking at
porn sites during your lunch break?

The proof issue is the other way round. It is not for you to prove you never
went there, it is your employer who has to provide proof that you did indeed
visit those sites. The favourites list is not proof enough IMHO because it
can be written to by viruses. If security is lax it could even be written to
by somebody else on your local network, like your boss :) It's only a
collection of shortcuts in a folder after all.

Did your employer look into your cache and find cached pages from those porn
sites?

Can your employer provide logs from a proxy server that show you accessed
those URLS at specific times, and not during your lunch break?

Can your employee prove that you are the only person who is able to use that
computer? Is it password protected so, say, the cleaner cannot use it?

[1] Successfull wrongfull dismissal cases usually end up with the employee
receiving a substantial monetory reward, usually something like 6 to 9
months salary, depending on term of service.

Cheers
Richard.
 
A

Adrienne

Mark Barr said:
Its not my girlfriend its my boss

i have never surfed for porn at work and yet in my favorites it has
links to porn sites

need to prove its possible otherwise I will loose my job

thats why I am trying to prove it

Dunno about your country but over here that would be a prime cause to
sue your employer for wrongfull dismissal [1].

Things to consider:

Did you sign a contract that, for example, precludes you from looking
at porn sites during your lunch break?

The proof issue is the other way round. It is not for you to prove you
never went there, it is your employer who has to provide proof that you
did indeed visit those sites. The favourites list is not proof enough
IMHO because it can be written to by viruses. If security is lax it
could even be written to by somebody else on your local network, like
your boss :) It's only a collection of shortcuts in a folder after
all.

Did your employer look into your cache and find cached pages from those
porn sites?

Can your employer provide logs from a proxy server that show you
accessed those URLS at specific times, and not during your lunch break?

Can your employee prove that you are the only person who is able to use
that computer? Is it password protected so, say, the cleaner cannot use
it?

[1] Successfull wrongfull dismissal cases usually end up with the
employee receiving a substantial monetory reward, usually something
like 6 to 9 months salary, depending on term of service.

Cheers
Richard.

Richard, hate to disagree with you, but it can be argued that the computer
belongs to the employer, not the employee, and therefore, if the employer
does not want porn, then the employer wins. IIRC, there is case law
regarding email belonging to an employer, not the employee, thus throwing
any issues about privacy out the window.

OTOH, it is also the employer's responsibilty to protect the system. If
the network is configured to let only administrators install programs, then
problems like this do not arise. Most network admins I know do have
systems configured that way, and only allow certain users they *know* are
*very* careful to have installation rights.

To the OP: If I were you I would check with the local labor board to see
what rights, if any, you have in this matter.
 
R

rf

Adrienne said:
Mark Barr said:
Its not my girlfriend its my boss

i have never surfed for porn at work and yet in my favorites it has
links to porn sites

need to prove its possible otherwise I will loose my job

thats why I am trying to prove it

Dunno about your country but over here that would be a prime cause to
sue your employer for wrongfull dismissal [1].

Things to consider:

Did you sign a contract that, for example, precludes you from looking
at porn sites during your lunch break?

The proof issue is the other way round. It is not for you to prove you
never went there, it is your employer who has to provide proof that you
did indeed visit those sites. The favourites list is not proof enough
IMHO because it can be written to by viruses. If security is lax it
could even be written to by somebody else on your local network, like
your boss :) It's only a collection of shortcuts in a folder after
all.

Did your employer look into your cache and find cached pages from those
porn sites?

Can your employer provide logs from a proxy server that show you
accessed those URLS at specific times, and not during your lunch break?

Can your employee prove that you are the only person who is able to use
that computer? Is it password protected so, say, the cleaner cannot use
it?

[1] Successfull wrongfull dismissal cases usually end up with the
employee receiving a substantial monetory reward, usually something
like 6 to 9 months salary, depending on term of service.

Richard, hate to disagree with you, but it can be argued that the computer
belongs to the employer, not the employee,

I don't think we actually do disagree. We are just looking at different
things.
Very true. The computer "does" belong to the employer. I never had an issue
with that.
and therefore, if the employer
does not want porn, then the employer wins.

Providing the employer has stated this up front, in the employment contract.
The employer can not suddenly get cranky and retrospectively create rules.
The employer *can* create rules for the future and require that the employer
adhere to these rules, in the future, by signing a new employment contract.

If such an agreement is in place (the OP can tell us) then there may be a
case. Finding some links in a favourites folder is not strong evidence for
the case. The employer would have to prove conclusively that the employee
did in fact use the computer contrary to the employment contract.
IIRC, there is case law
regarding email belonging to an employer, not the employee, thus throwing
any issues about privacy out the window.

Yep. I don't think privacy is the issue here. It is looking at porn sites.
OTOH, it is also the employer's responsibilty to protect the system. If
the network is configured to let only administrators install programs, then
problems like this do not arise. Most network admins I know do have
systems configured that way, and only allow certain users they *know* are
*very* careful to have installation rights.

I think I alluded to this. If the security is so lax that somebody else can
insert links into the favourites file of the employee then the employer has
no case.

The case of a virus inserting links into the favourites folder is similar.
If the employee can show that the computer is capable of catching a virus
then the employer has no case. If the the employer can *prove* that the
computer is incapable of catching a virus then there may be a case.

However, once again, finding links in the favourites folder is not very good
evidence. What *might* be good evidence is finding some images of the people
depicted in those sites in a folder called "mark bars private girly album"
:)

A further thought: I use google extensively for searching for things like
electronic components, a pretty innocuous passtime. On several occasions I
have clicked on a porn site by mistake, because it looks like something I
might be searching for. If security is lax it's quite possible for said site
to insert a favourite link.
To the OP: If I were you I would check with the local labor board to see
what rights, if any, you have in this matter.

Yep. Additionally, over here, finding some porn or some illegal emails on a
computer is still not grounds for dismissal. There is a very strict three
stage procedure defined here. First the employee must be councelled. At a
second offence the employee may be cautioned, in writing, and that caution
entered into the employees record. Only after a third breach may the
employee be dismissed, and the dismissal is not really for breaking the
rules, but doing so after a formal caution has been given. It is the breach
of that caution that is the issue.

I think we need some more information from the OP.

Cheers
Richard.
 
M

Michael Bauser

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Mark Barr said:
Hi Michel

i agree and thats my point

i am being accused of having websites in my favorites list that i
know I have never visited

I am trying to prove that it is possible

See http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/hijacked/

To make a long story short, there are problems with some ActiveX
controls and Java (in some versions of MSIE) that allow websites to
download files to your hard drive without your permission. On Windows
systems, Internet Explorer "favorites" are stored as small text files
in the \WINDOWS\Favorites folder, so adding a favorite is relatively
simple. More callous sites will even reset your browser's homepage
and search pages.

Supposedly, these security holes are fixed in current versions of
MSIE, but you never know with Microsoft. (Or you could be using
unpatched versions of the software.)

Anyway, everyone who told you this wasn't possible owes you an
apology. Here's a Google Groups search that will turn up a fair
number of old complaints:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q="added+to"+favorites+without

I hope this helps you keep your job, girlfriend, and whatever else
may be jeopardy.

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Version: PGPfreeware 6.5.1 for non-commercial use <http://www.pgp.com>

iQA/AwUBP7iOW3KbhCU9m6R7EQJmwgCfUxOg0n9q6Sk3baq1ko/pkDogwaQAnjPg
xwOZQJme4ixP88Qpnw93vH4M
=pDHx
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
 
M

Mark Barr

Thanks for that appreciated

they have now sent me a screen dump of my favourites folder.

there are 15 websites of a pornographic nature in the favourites folder.

All 15 have the same date in the modified column and the date stamp is
within 1 minute

this must be a case of spyware or something how could I do it in a minute

Mark
 
R

rf

Mark Barr said:
Thanks for that appreciated

they have now sent me a screen dump of my favourites folder.

there are 15 websites of a pornographic nature in the favourites folder.

All 15 have the same date in the modified column and the date stamp is
within 1 minute

this must be a case of spyware or something how could I do it in a minute

Yep. The usual time IIRC is seven minutes :)

Cheers
Richard.
 

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