Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions

Subject: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: frogprince
Date: 30 Sep 16 - 08:44 PM

I've bought a few small items on Ebay auctions. I've skimmed the collectable car auctions quite a bit just for fun. A few days ago I bid (in good faith) on a car, but the bidding ended short of the reserve. For the last couple of days, any auction ad on Ebay comes up partially blocked, with a warning, "unsafe content", at the top. Anybody else getting this?

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Sep 16 - 09:31 PM

Have you run a scan of your computer?

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: frogprince
Date: 30 Sep 16 - 10:15 PM

Not yet, I suppose I should. I haven't seen any problem anywhere but those Ebay ads, though.

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 03:03 AM

It looks like your virus scan (McAfee?) is blocking content based on a scan of the URL. It can sometimes find a link to another site it considers unsafe and block a whole site that provided the link, as a 'directing site', on the back of that. If that is the case you should be able to 'whitelist' Ebay in the programme that doe the blocking.

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: Mr Red
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 03:51 AM

No problemo in Rouge Towers

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: Jack Campin
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 03:57 AM

Perhaps the warning is for real and the auction you bid on had something very dodgy about it that got your computer infected with a trojan.

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: frogprince
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 09:19 AM

Just seems funny that I haven't found anything amiss anywhere except ebay auction items. Even straight sale items on ebay come up ok. I started a full scan with windows defender last night. Ten hours, it showed only a small fraction of the progress bar, and I'm still getting the baloney. The warnings didn't start until at least a day after I did the bidding. I have a "quick scan" running, so we'll see if that does anything. (Thanks for thoughts so far).

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 09:22 AM

Can you tell us what is putting up the warnings and blocking the site. I think that the key to finding out what's going on.

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: frogprince
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 09:48 AM

I'm searching with windows 10 "edge". On each individual auction item, everything appears except that the "detailed item information" block is blanked in solid red, with an x'd-badge-shield image. The same shield shows in the address line at the very top of the tab page, with that and "unsafe content" in red.

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: frogprince
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 09:58 AM

I just tried Firefox, and everything came up normally. Windows defender on quick scan didn't find any "threats".

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: frogprince
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 10:13 AM

Also all normal using chrome-plated google. I'm generally using edge because, since the gods on mount Microsoft made the decision to gift me with 10, I have had to dig up the password for every site using any other browser; can't retain a single cookie, or email to any group, with any other browser.

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: DaveRo
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 10:24 AM

I think this is a feature of Windows 10's 'Smartscreen' feature, which I noticed was installed in the recent v1607 (Anniversary) update.

This on the ebay forum suggests ebay may need to tighen up the way they serve pages.
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Now-What-Description-area-is-a-big-red-box-marked-Unsafe-Content/td-p/26063990

I suspect it's trying to detect 'mixed content' in iframes: you can google that but it's essentially an exploit used to inject malware into websites. But I'm guessing.

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 11:29 AM

I think this is a feature of Windows 10's 'Smartscreen' feature, which I noticed was installed in the recent v1607 (Anniversary) update.

I keep getting warnings recently my virus scanning is not up to scratch (it is) and I need to turn on Smartscreen. You may be on to something there.

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 11:36 AM

I dumbed down as many of those Windows features as I could, turned off "Cortana" and never use Edge.

Here's a page with a movie you should watch - she gives you ways to turn off Windows 10 nosy features: How to Reclaim Your Privacy in Windows 10

They may need to release a new video now that the "Anniversary" update has loaded more crap into to the computer.

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: frogprince
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 11:37 AM

At least, thank Zeus, it apparently doesn't have anything to do with my computer contracting any form of plague.

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 11:48 AM

I just rewatched the video myself and found that during the recent update Windows had turned back on the slider to send my keystrokes to Microsoft. Insidious program. I know, I know, I should try Linux . . .

Subject: RE: Tech: ? re: Ebay Auctions
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 01 Oct 16 - 12:05 PM

I haven't, so far at least, noticed Windows reversing any privacy settings (and I do keep a tight watch). I did go to Bing/Microsoft to turn off all advertising and gathering of personal data settings. Would that make the difference?