TinyURL4.info!!!!!!

[ryoung]

Deleted

[dusty10]

I would be PO'd too if this happened to me but it does not. I'm not that computer savy but is this problem related to kahrtalk server issues about a month ago? Maybe clear you history and temporary internet folders?

[Bawanna]

Just about every @#!%^%$ time I try to log into KAHR TALK. I am redirected to MOTHER @#$%#!* TINYURL4info.

This is TOTAL BULLSH!T !!!!!

WHY, can't the owners/ operators of KAHRTALK. STOP this from happening.
Do you not own KAHRTALK ????
Do you NOT CARE that someone is Hi-Jacking & redirecting your customers ????
If I were you, I would sue the CRAP out of these people!!!!
It is ANNOYING and it is FRUSTRATING.
And , it happens CONSTANTLY.

YOU MAKE GUNS , GO SHOOT TINYURL IN THE A$$ !!!!!

Deep breathing Mr. Ryoung. First I've heard of this issue and like Dusty I'm clueless as to cause and or cure. But my fearless leaders I'm sure are savvy to the cure if not the issue.
I shall direct their attention to your malady with hopes that they find the cure.
Maybe we should issue purple bracelets with Find The Cure for all Kahrtalk members to wear to put an end to this terrible disease.
We're on it.

Peace/out

[robmcd]

I agree. It's a redirect and masking service, and someone is using it to attempt to pass you a virus by saying it's IE Version 8. You probably picked it up through a Google search for kahrtalk. Dump your browsing history, then type www.kahrtalk.com (http://www.kahrtalk.com) into your address bar, then save that page in your favorites.

[jeepster09]

ryoung

Are you sure it is Kahr Talk and not Malware on YOUR computer? It has never happened to me. Your computer may have a virus that is directing you there, I am not a computer expert, but if it was a problem with this web sight I would think more would be having same issue as you.

[Bawanna]

I agree. It's a redirect and masking service, and someone is using it to attempt to pass you a virus by saying it's IE Version 8. You probably picked it up through a Google search for kahrtalk. Dump your browsing history, then type www.kahrtalk.com (http://www.kahrtalk.com) into your address bar, then save that page in your favorites.

Thank you robmcd for the suggestion. I think when we experienced the malware issue awhile back this was suggested after the problem was fixed which incidently wasn't in Kahrtalk but a server issue involving many other forums as well.

ryoung, let me know if this works for you so I can give my bosses the afternoon off.
We like having ya around here so we don't want obstacles between you and us.

[mr surveyor]

If y'all will read back through the forum, you will find that I posted a similar condition a couple of months ago. Mine started after I opened a link to a news story someone posted on defensive carry dot com. I ended up getting re-directed to some BS called dailyconsumernews dot com, and it would take complete control of my laptop...the hard drive would spin non stop, and the only way to shut down was disconnect the ac charger, then drop the dc battery. I ran AVG, MalWare s/w, Spybot, and a few others, but the bug had destroyed the registry, and non of the bug hunting s/w could find or isolate it. I also tried several other things, but ended up taking it to a computer tech when it was running at the speed of a 16 bit 8086 processor on dial up. The registry on mine was damaged to the point I had no sound, half my business s/w wouldn't work, and it just wasn't a fun time. I don't blame DC dot com in the least, nor would I even consider that the host of Kahrtalk has any control. The tech said that the occurance of new "bugs" is much greater than the anti-virus s/w folks can isolate and send out fixes for. I just happened to be one of the unlucky ones.

And, I spent $480 just to get a new larger HD, more ram, resintall of XPPro, and a few other tweaks, and after two weeks am still loading and configuring various s/w. In my case, it was almost a necessity to keep the old laptop with XP since a lot of the trchnical devices (mostly various geodetic grade gps units) require communications through db9 and two of my most expensive packages require 25 pin hardware locks to operate the s/w. There ain't many brand spankin new laptops available that will communicate with my ancient (5-8 year old) field equipment.

Am I pissed..... damn straight. These scumbags that think it's their patriotic duty to destroy internet communications are deserving of life imprisonment.


surv

[MW surveyor]

mr surveyor - Tell us how you really feel.

You are correct. Drawing and quartering of the bast**ds would probably satisfiy me. I took one of my laptops in after getting a bug from a redirected story. When the computer guy said it would be a minimum of $800.00 for repair. I had to bite the bullet and just buy a new one. Took a bit of time to find something that would run XP as like you most of my technical s/w only runs on XP (or I'd have to buy the upgraded versions to run on Vista or Win7, big bucks)

[johnh]

The original poster has a problem on his PC. Probably malware as has been suggested here. I am sorry not to be more help. No telling where it came from. The writers of that stuff have become pretty crafty at hiding it. I sure agree about life sentences for these people. It is sad how much damage that does, and I cannot imaging the junk advertisers make a dime off the victims, apart from stealing bank/credit card info. :(

John

[wyntrout]

When you Google something for a link, you will get lots of bogus links. You have to really look at the addresses before clicking on anything. After you get there safely, bookmark it or save it to your favorites. You need to be running some good anti-virus software, too.
I have McAfee on my laptop and Norton's Internet Security Suite on my main computer. Those things are updated frequently... all daylong, and stop just about everything.
Back when the site had problems, I got misdirected several times to those Tiny URL things.

Wynn

[Pender1]

I had this happen on another forum a couple of weeks ago. cleared my cookies and it fixed the problem, hopefully that's all that's wrong with yours. And despite popular belief Mac's are no more safe than PC's, there are just fewer viruses in existence for them because up until the last few years Mac was more or less a dead OS and nobody messed with writing viruses for it.

[capriaz]

Every single day I clean up infected machines. I typically find 200-50000 infected files on stil running units. I thought I would give my two cents.

First, install all of the free system updates. When MS finds a loophole in their software they create an update to close the hole.

Second, us quality security software. I run Webroot spysweeper antivirus edition. Lots of these infections sneak in as a temporary file and are then installed on the restart of your computer. Most security software can and will find these and delete them (see your history for tracking cookies removed). Webroot has a shield to keep entering your PC in the first place. If you need to use free security software, microsoft security essentials is free and works as well as most other paid security software.

Third, do not be temped by free. Free games, porn, poker, IQ tests, weather applications, smiley faces, screensavers, backgrounds, etc... Why would anyone give anything for free? Who is paying for the game hosting, weather updates, picture rights? If you have ever gone fishing you know what the worm is to the fish, a free lunch. Fish do not bite at empty hooks, do not let one of these trojan horses into your PC.

Fourth, there are no unimportant computers. I hear all day "I just use this for internet and e-mail. If I get infected I will just buy a new PC or restore my PC. Sure that will rid YOU of the infection for now, but what about all your contacts? Often the malware keylogs your passwords and your gmail, hotmail, yahoo is now sending out messages to your friends and family stating "Look at this great thing, picture, fill in the blank here."

Lastly, surf / use the web on a limited user / standard user account, not an administrator account. Administrators can change the computer's software and configuration, users cannot. Even if one of these trojans slip through on a user account they will not be able to install and your security software and kill them.

Still interested and like a good read? Check out he bok Deamon. It is a story for a MMORPG programmer that gets a brain tumor / cancer and his disease or madness drives him to create an program that scanns obituaries for his death. On his death a massive infection is released threatening world distruction. Right up there with the book Partiots.
Amazon.com: Daemon (9780525951117): Daniel Suarez: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Daemon-Daniel-Suarez/dp/0525951113)


/Sermon off

[skychief12]

Dude, chill. You have beenhijacked by malware. You need to run malwarebytes (http://www.malwarebytes.org/). Do you have any sort of decent antivirus software on your machine?
Avast (http://www.avast.com/index) has a free verson that works very well.
You may have to get someone to do this for you, because if your computer is really infected it will take some work to clean it up. No offense, but you may not be able to do it yourself.

I run this exact software plus others and they will not solve the problem. On my PC they all come back as "clean". The issue is more likely at a server level. I am redirected to TinyURL4 but only occasionally and only when connecting to this site.

[redjak]

I run this exact software plus others and they will not solve the problem. On my PC they all come back as "clean". The issue is more likely at a server level. I am redirected to TinyURL4 but only occasionally and only when connecting to this site.

+1. More likely at a server level.

I get redirected to TinyURL4 100% of the time if I do the following:

1. Delete all bookmarks that point to Kahr Talk.

2. Clear browser history. This is most important step, and is the reason why most folks only see this problem rarely. Your browser remembers how to find Kahr Talk correctly once it gets here the first time.

3. Using either Google, Yahoo, Bing, or probably every other search engine out there, search for Kahr Talk. Click the first link that comes up. Voila! TinyURL4!

Get rid of problem by closing the TinyURL4 page, search for Kahr Talk again, click the link, and you will go to Kahr Talk page every time in the future, until you clear your browser history.

[johnh]

Sorry guys, but it is something wrong with that Google search result. Other search engines do not do that. Is there a reason why you go to Google before accessing the site, rather than just typing in our address? For that matter it only does that in Chrome when I try what you are doing.

John

[skychief12]

Is there a reason why you go to Google before accessing the site, rather than just typing in our address?John

I don't go to Google. It is a bookmark. I can see a "waiting on www.kahrtalk.com" which I believe is connecting to the IP address on the server. Then suddenly there is a switch to TinyURL4. Sorry, but I don't think it is something on my PC. For me this only happens when connecting to the kahrtalk site. I have tried using just the IP address but I hit the Apache splash screen.

I create the bookmark but typing in the address directly so google is not involved in anyway.

[redjak]

Sorry guys, but it is something wrong with that Google search result. Other search engines do not do that. Is there a reason why you go to Google before accessing the site, rather than just typing in our address? For that matter it only does that in Chrome when I try what you are doing.

John

Now that I know about KahrTalk, I have a bookmark that I use in Firefox to access this site. But when I was looking for a Kahr forum, I used a search engine, and found this problem.

I just turned on the Guest account on my Windows 7 computer. The Guest account has no bookmark for KahrTalk. Using Internet Explorer 8 browser, I can get to TinyURL4 every time using Bing, Google, and Yahoo Search, as long as I clear the browser cache between tries. Using Firefox browser, I get the same results. I haven't installed the Chrome browser on this computer.

I think that the server that KahrTalk is installed on is hacked by someone pretty clever, and when a newcomer tries to get to KahrTalk coming from any search engine, they get redirected to TinyURL4. No KahrTalk site administrator should find this hack, since they would get to the site a different way, or already have the site bookmarked, but it will trap a newcomer.

Jim

[johnh]

Nope, the server has been scanned, scanned, and rescanned. I even had Google rescan it yesterday. I am not sure what to tell you as I cannot replicate this from my PC except on that one link from Google. I don't have bookmarks, I just type in the address each time I come here. Perhaps they still are returning a result from when the forum was compromised months ago.

John

[redjak]

This is a puzzle. The Google scan should find the problem. Here is what I did to show the problem:

I re-tried using the old computer running Windows XP that I keep to run software that won't run on Windows 7. Enabled the Guest account, because Guest has no privileges, and I don't want the malware on TinyURL4 able to load on my computers.

Next, I setup Internet Explorer 8 as follows: Tools, Internet Options, Delete, check all boxes except Preserve Favorites, click Delete, check Delete browsing history on exit, click Apply, then OK.

Test 1: Run IE8, enter www.kahrtalk.com (http://www.kahrtalk.com). Result: kahrtalk. Close IE8 (to delete browser history).

Test 2: Run IE8, enter www.bing.com (http://www.bing.com). Search for kahr talk. Click first link found. Result: TinyURL4. Close IE8.

Test 3: Run IE8, enter www.google.com (http://www.google.com). Search for kahr talk. Click second link found. Result: TinyURL4. Close IE8. Note that google is in my opinion doing kahrtalk a favor. The first link on google goes to a disclaimer page for kahrtalk, and the bottom of that page has a link that does go to kahrtalk correctly.

Test 4: Run IE8, enter www.yahoo.com (http://www.yahoo.com). Search for kahr talk. Click first link found. Result: TinyURL4. Close IE8

Test 5: Run IE8, create a bookmark for Kahr Talk, click on the bookmark. Result: kahrtalk. Close IE8

Sorry about the long message. I've tried on two computers. It appears to me that a newcomer looking for Kahr Talk using a search engine will end up at TinyURL4 most of the time. But somebody who types in the correct address or has a bookmark will not have this problem.

Jim

[mr surveyor]

just prior to my massive infection I picked up from opening a news story link on another gun related site, I made the terrible mistake of loading IE8 on my XPpro laptop. I don't know if that was part of the problem, but I hated the way IE8 ran. I still believe what the computer tech told me. The anti virus folks build patches as fast as they can isolate the bugs.... some bugs are gonna get through regardless... I was one of the unfortunate few that opened the wrong link at the wrong time. Anyhow, I had the old Dell re-built, reloaded all my necessary s/w, and reloaded IE7. I am now back to being real cautios about opening any link posted in a thread until I see a half dozen other discuss it, or until a couple of days have passed and AVG has had a chance to build a bug catcher.

It happens to the best of us:D


surv

[earle8888]

FYI, followed Zorn 's advice. Used malwarebytes.com. NOW I am getting that TINYURL stuff!!!
Don't know if it related, BUT, all the links I had through bookmarks, favorites, stc. are corrupt.

[earle8888]

Just read the page two about "TinyURL4.". Please note that after running the malware software I cleared all my "Cookies, Histories, and anything else I could delete" Then I got TinyURL4. on trying to connect to kahrtalk. Also, note that the way I now get to kahrtalk is by going to WWW.kahrtalk.com (http://www.kahrtalk.com) then its fine. I don;t know if any of this is helpful in solving the problem, but, I offer it with hope that it will.

[robmcd]

tinyURL4.info is a free redirect service. Anyone can enter a URL and have it redirected to an alternate site by entering the info on tinyURL4.info. They are not the real bad guys, but are now complicit - it's whomever has entered kahrtalk.com and redirected it to the virus/spyware download. They have literally highjacked it so when you Google kahrtalk the search results are masked as the kahrtalk forum. The Administrators need to contact both Google and tinyURL4.info and get them to do something about it, or this will happen to everyone who searches for the forum on Google instead of using a link on the Kahr Arms website.

Administrators please read this article (http://wisetechie.com/blog/2010/06/12/how-to-remove-google-yahoo-redirection-virus-or-malware-from-your-website/) about tinyURL4.info.

[johnh]

I have the hosting service doing some removal and updates of some supporting software related to vBulletin. If anything is amiss, this would correct it as the relevant parts of the forum software would be removed/reinstalled. I will let you guys know when it is finished.

[johnh]

Any change in this today? The host finished yesterday. I have never been able to replicate this consistently, so would rather hear from someone who could.

John

[skychief12]

I have never been able to replicate this consistently, so would rather hear from someone who could.
John

It doesn't ever happen consistently when I connect using my bookmark.

[redjak]

Any change in this today? The host finished yesterday. I have never been able to replicate this consistently, so would rather hear from someone who could.

John

John,

I repeated my testing using the Guest account on my Windows 7 computer. I think that it is fixed. I tried searching from Bing, Google, Yahoo, and they all go to Kahr Talk instead of TinyURL4. Thanks!

Jim

[wyntrout]

Dang! All of my bookmarks get this result and I can't reference anything that I bookmarked:
"404 Not Found
The resource requested could not be found on this server! Powered By LiteSpeed Web Server
LiteSpeed Technologies is not responsible for administration and contents of this web site!"

I had bookmarked a lot of posts and threads for helping others and now they seem to be worthless. :(

Wynn:confused:

[skychief12]

I have the hosting service doing some removal and updates of some supporting software related to vBulletin. If anything is amiss, this would correct it as the relevant parts of the forum software would be removed/reinstalled. I will let you guys know when it is finished.

I've had no problem with TinyURL4 after the host service performed this.