Live data from Hacker News

Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

twitter.com

31–40 of 83 posts

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#33
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.

Google's monopoly status means it fulfills 90+% of the ads. I can guarantee you that CNN has no control. There is no competition. So, erm, maybe the onus is on Google?

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#34

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

Doesn't seem likely that an advertisement would need to embed that kind of functionality.

What kind of functionality? This is just a generic library for more easily managing keyboard input, JavaScript itself supports the same but in a more clunky way.

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#35
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.

Google's monopoly status means it fulfills 90+% of the ads. I can guarantee you that CNN has no control. There is no competition. So, erm, maybe the onus is on Google?

Surely a company as big as CNN can run their own ad service instead of contracting it out. Do they pass the buck like this for ads on their TV channel?

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Keypress.js doesn't really help creating a keylogger. It does make creating interactive ads easier though.

The 90s called and wants "punch the monkey" back

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#37
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.

Google's monopoly status means it fulfills 90+% of the ads. I can guarantee you that CNN has no control. There is no competition. So, erm, maybe the onus is on Google?

CNN absolutely has control. CNN could vote with their dollars and use a different ad platform.

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#38
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.

Google's monopoly status means it fulfills 90+% of the ads. I can guarantee you that CNN has no control. There is no competition. So, erm, maybe the onus is on Google?

Google ads container keyloggers? I doubt that.

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#39
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.

Google's monopoly status means it fulfills 90+% of the ads. I can guarantee you that CNN has no control. There is no competition. So, erm, maybe the onus is on Google?

Is this confirmed to be Google ads? Because otherwise the comment is needlessly misleading.

Re: Banner ads on CNN.com contain keyloggers

#40
post #21

I'm skeptical that this is a) from a banner ad and not from operation of the site b) a full blown keylogger and not a library included that is used for something like a photo gallery (that may have ads in it)

Also, the file is served from turner.com domain, which is the company who owns CNN.
Post reply on HN