Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers • Hacker News Board

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#11

Post by wanderfowl » Tue, Jul 17, 2018, 4:38 PM UTC

Dearest Ad Industry,

This is why we run ad blockers. Since you won't regulate your industry, we're fixing the problem for you.

Love,

The Rest of the World.

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#12

Post by Yizahi » Tue, Jul 17, 2018, 4:40 PM UTC

wanderfowl wrote: post #11

Dearest Ad Industry, This is why we run ad blockers. Since you won't regulate your industry, we're fixing the problem for you. Love, The Rest of the World.

PS: and please burn in hell, asap.

Sincerely,

Concerned users of the Internet.

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#13

Post by Crontab » Tue, Jul 17, 2018, 4:41 PM UTC

Sites bemoan ad blockers but then take no responsibility for the ads that are shown. That needs to change - it’s not like print advertising.

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#14

Post by tjoff » Tue, Jul 17, 2018, 4:41 PM UTC

sbinthree wrote: post #2

How likely is this to be due to accessibility (ie. keyboard-only users) vs. keylogging?

How can an add increase accessibility by listening to the keyboard?

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#15

Post by cbcoutinho » Tue, Jul 17, 2018, 4:42 PM UTC

notadoc wrote: post #5

Here's what is actually being run http://dmauro.github.io/Keypress/

Why aren't the code snippets in a monospace font? Is there readability ux that thinks this is a good idea?

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#16

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Jul 17, 2018, 4:42 PM UTC

Crontab wrote: post #13

Sites bemoan ad blockers but then take no responsibility for the ads that are shown. That needs to change - it’s not like print advertising.

[deleted]

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#17

Post by lifeformed » Tue, Jul 17, 2018, 4:43 PM UTC

The point stands, but that's not really a keylogger. It's a library to manage keyboard inputs. Of course, it could also send all key info somewhere externally too.

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#18

Post by wanderfowl » Tue, Jul 17, 2018, 4:44 PM UTC

lifeformed wrote: post #17

The point stands, but that's not really a keylogger. It's a library to manage keyboard inputs. Of course, it could also send all key info somewhere externally too.

But in what universe would an individual ad need that? This seems like precisely the sort of thing that a third party ad would be prevented from doing.

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#19

Post by mmcwilliams » Tue, Jul 17, 2018, 4:44 PM UTC

It appears to be getting the keypress.js library from ssl.cdn.turner.com. Not clear if the data is being exfiltrated, though, just by looking at that tweet.

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#20

Post by roscoebeezie » Tue, Jul 17, 2018, 4:45 PM UTC

I’ve noticed CNN has had a crap ton of redirect ads recently...