wp.vizu ? (be cautious, don't visit the site)

[Fly]

Over the past couple of days 'wp.vizu' (abbreviated version, since I can't post malware links) has been really obnoxious.

I encounter it when I try to visit mainstream websites, found by googling something.

When clicking on a search, that vizu thing really shows itself, then I see some kind of error message and I can't get to the content I wanted. Basically, I get a more or less empty screen. Sometimes trying again seems to work.

I think it's some adware/tracking issue, so I don't recommend visiting the vizu website.

I use McAfee Virusscan Plus, Spy Sweeper 5.5.7 (version without antivirus, tweaked settings, ad shield on), IE 7 with elevated security settings.

That it's blocked is good.

That I am prevented from getting to the content I wanted is not.

I doubt if blocking it in the HOSTS file would work, since it's blocked atm anyway. Besides, I'd rather not use a HOSTS files right now. 'If it ain't broken, don't fix it.' Messing with your security can cause problems.

Any ideas ? I encounter it on the tv.com website (result of a google search).

[Meriadoc]

I don't think there's anything wrong there but if you did visit the site you would find out...{QUOTE-> Vizu – The Internet's Premier Brand Ad Measurement System

From its roots as an online market research and opinion polling firm, Vizu developed it's Ad Catalyst service. Ad Catalyst is a digital ad effectiveness measurement system that goes beyond counting "clicks" to measure how online ads impact viewer perceptions of key brand attributes. Many of the Internet's premier publishers and leading digital ad agencies use Ad Catalyst to make sure that they deliver the most efficient, effective advertising to the brands with which they work. <-QUOTE}is it any surprise that one would encounter them.

Any screen shots of these errors, are you blocking what you want to see I don't quite understand.

[Fly]

{QUOTE-> I don't think there's anything wrong there but if you did visit the site you would find out...is it any surprise that one would encounter them.

Any screen shots of these errors, are you blocking what you want to see I don't quite understand. <-QUOTE}

The full message: I suspect that the Spy Sweeper is blocking the http://wp.vizu.com thing, and I want to be protected from spyware, adware, tracking. But that vizu thing results in an error, and I cannot access the content (what I want to see).

[Bubba]

{QUOTE-> The full message: I suspect that the Spy Sweeper is blocking the http://wp.vizu.com thing, and I want to be protected from spyware, adware, tracking. But that vizu thing results in an error, and I cannot access the content (what I want to see). <-QUOTE}Unless I am missing something :-\ and speaking of that wp,vizu.com URL only, there is nothing to see there because the only code is the HTML tags.

201779

[dw426]

{QUOTE-> The full message: I suspect that the Spy Sweeper is blocking the http://wp.vizu.com thing, and I want to be protected from spyware, adware, tracking. But that vizu thing results in an error, and I cannot access the content (what I want to see). <-QUOTE}

I guess all I can say is that Spy Sweeper may just not give an option to bypass the block on a website. I use Avast and its web shield will pop up and ask me if I want to continue if it runs across a bad page. If I click no it terminates the page, click yes and it let's me go to the content.

Edit: I didn't read good enough. You say that comes up everytime you try to go ANYWHERE via Google? You sure you don't have some kind of infection?

[Fly]

{QUOTE-> Unless I am missing something :-\ and speaking of that wp,vizu.com URL only, there is nothing to see there because the only code is the HTML tags.

201779 <-QUOTE}

Well, I don't see HTML tags, I just see at the bottom of my screen that an attempt is made to download an image http://wp.vizu.com/img/errinfo.gif? and some more, including the word error, and I suspect that it's abbreviated (it stops at the beginning of the right end of my screen)

But let's not make a lot off fuss about it, I suppose Webroot will resolve the situation, and anyway, there are other websites besides tv.com ;)

[JRViejo]

Doing a WHOIS on vizu.com turns up a clear, non-blacklisted site:http://whois.domaintools.com/vizu.com.

Their site www.vizu.com (http://www.vizu.com/) displays without any problems in my Firefox and IE browsers. NoScript only shows the domain name and nothing else attached to their site. Perhaps the "wp" refers to their Web Polls?

[dw426]

There are a few extra scripts that load with tv.com according to NoScript, perhaps one of them were flagged as bad by Spy Sweeper? Without a program like NoScript all scripts will load and it won't be real easy to determine exactly what was bad and what wasn't. And, the same scripts will sometimes not load every time even on the same websites...when you see that happen in Noscript, you usually can tell that "here now but not later" script was a real good candidate to be malicious. I might be reaching out further than needed, but just a thought.