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about. blank or about:blank


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I was surfing through old HJT posts (from like 2005 or so) and I came across a lot of titles that were about About:blank and I read some of the posts and logs.

After reading those, I remembered that several years ago now, I got pop ups and the top, where the address shows up on a pop up, said about:blank or about.blank or something like that.

I haven't had one in a while now, but I remember getting pop ups with that name every once in a while.

I wonder if I had something nasty on the computer since I was getting those. Does anyone know anything about about blank and if so, what is it?

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I didn't think it was still around? The About:Blank homepage hijacker is a variation of a more advanced Cool Web Search hijacker. There are several variants of the About:Blank hijacker and all of them are difficult to remove manually. This hijacker is also referred to as the HomeOldSP hijacker because of the changes to the registry

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That's what I figured, but I wasn't positive. I don't think I've seen it in a while, but, it used to happen to me years ago, about the time that these old posts were made... heh. But nothing else weird happened when they came up, so I am sure that the ones I saw were legit.

About:blank is empty page. If you ask your browser to open about:blank instead eg yahoo, it will open a blank page and waiting to enter an address in the address bar. It's not dangerous.
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Thanks Exile :D I figured it was harmless. I just wasn't sure coz my last experience with it was well a few years ago when this thing seems to have been rampant, but, other than the name in the pop up, I don't think anything else happened. I can't know for sure though.

There is also a really old infection called about:blank, but I don't believe it's around any more (anyone more experienced feel free to correct me if I'm wrong :) ). I actually have my browser home page set to about:blank so it opens faster.
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Thanks yardbird :D

It seems like it was kinda scary! Hopefully nothing happened to my computer back then!

I didn't think it was still around? The About:Blank homepage hijacker is a variation of a more advanced Cool Web Search hijacker. There are several variants of the About:Blank hijacker and all of them are difficult to remove manually. This hijacker is also referred to as the HomeOldSP hijacker because of the changes to the registry
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Curiosity, like Exile said :D Also, just reading and learning, I love to read and learn about a variety of things. I read through the new HJT logs too to see whats going on. I think I've learned a thing or two by doing this, hehe.

why is mountaintree16 surfing thru 4 year old HJK logs? unless its a school project? or some deep research....
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@ mbyuser

Oh, that's a little scary :D

I am actually not sure what I am talking about, I was just asking about it in general since I knew nothing about it.

What do you have for your anti virus? Did you update it and run a full scan? also, have you run a quick scan of Malwarebytes?

"still active as far as 4mths back" do you mean that it is active now still since four months ago, or it was only active four months ago?

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  • Root Admin

Scan and post logs - read note at bottom in green

If you're having Malware related issues with your computer that you're unable to resolve.

  1. Please read and follow the instructions provided here: I'm infected - What do I do now?
  2. If needed please post your logs in a NEW topic here: Malware Removal - HijackThis Logs
  3. When posting logs please do not use any Quote, Code, or other tags. Please copy/paste directly into your post and do not attach files unless requested.
  • Please do not post any logs in the General forum. We do not work on any logs posted in the General forum.
  • Please do not install any software or use any removal/scanning tool except for those you're requested to run by the Helper that will assist you.
  • Using these other tools often makes the cleanup task more difficult and time consuming.
  • If you have already submitted for assistance at one of the other support sites on the Internet then you should not post a new log here, you should stay working with the Helper from that site until the issue is resolved.
  • Do not assume you're clean because you don't see something in the logs. Please wait until the person assisting you provides feedback.
  • There are often many others that require asistance as well, so please be patient. If no one has responded within 48 hours then please go ahead and post a request for review
  • NOTE: If for some reason you're unable to run some or any of the tools in the first link, then skip that step and move on to the next one. If you can't even run HijackThis, then just proceed and post a NEW topic as shown in the second link describing your issues and someone will assist you as soon as they can.
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@ AdvancedSetup:

Thank you, but I believe that I am good to go now :D

This was mostly a question about something that I had seen a few years back on another computer that I used to use. I apologize if you meant this for another user on this thread.

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@ mbyuser

Oh, that's a little scary :D

I am actually not sure what I am talking about, I was just asking about it in general since I knew nothing about it.

What do you have for your anti virus? Did you update it and run a full scan? also, have you run a quick scan of Malwarebytes?

"still active as far as 4mths back" do you mean that it is active now still since four months ago, or it was only active four months ago?

at that time i was useing webroot (still am)

however i didnt pick it up on a scan,found it before i scanned my comp.

found useing search & destroys tools section,system start up (advanced mode)

easy to delte and never left/did no damage however i did find it before i rebooted,so i am unsure as to what it might off done.(There are/was? several variants of the About:Blank hijacker)

i ment;it installed it self on my comp 4mths ago.

wouldnt worry much about it,as manic said;About:blank is empty page. If you ask your browser to open about:blank instead eg yahoo, it will open a blank page and waiting to enter an address in the address bar. It's not dangerous.

the trojan i got

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@ mbyuser

Ohh, okay. I would recommend going here: http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=9573

and following the steps, just to make sure you're clear, since you did indeed have an infection.

by search and destroy, do you mean Spybot?

Yeah, I think what I was seeing on that other computer a few years ago was indeed harmless, but its hard to know for sure. It was 3-4 years ago now, maybe more, and I don't remember too clearly, I just remember seeing it with some pop ups and/or when opening a new web browser sometimes. As far as I know, nothing else happened with the computer, but again, I don't really remember too clearly. I hope not, coz I bought things online on that computer all the time and such.

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@ mbyuser

Ohh, okay. I would recommend going here: http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=9573

and following the steps, just to make sure you're clear, since you did indeed have an infection.

by search and destroy, do you mean Spybot?

Yeah, I think what I was seeing on that other computer a few years ago was indeed harmless, but its hard to know for sure. It was 3-4 years ago now, maybe more, and I don't remember too clearly, I just remember seeing it with some pop ups and/or when opening a new web browser sometimes. As far as I know, nothing else happened with the computer, but again, I don't really remember too clearly. I hope not, coz I bought things online on that computer all the time and such.

i formatted since then.

spybot has many varations,i do mean the legit spybot by safer networking.

props on the thought of still having a infection thou.

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@ mbyuser

Oh, so you totally uninstalled and reformatted your computer then? that sounds like the best thing I guess :D

ah, okay. I get Spybot off of download.com, is that where you got it from?

no problem :)

I still wonder though, how would changing firewalls have made that trojan get through? :/ ugh

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@ mbyuser

Oh, so you totally uninstalled and reformatted your computer then? that sounds like the best thing I guess :D

ah, okay. I get Spybot off of download.com, is that where you got it from?

no problem :)

I still wonder though, how would changing firewalls have made that trojan get through? :/ ugh

i made a mess off certain settings with the firewall,alought that may not have allowed the trojan to get throught,i am sure it was,however i could be wrong.

the wall was too confusing,made a mess as said off certain settings turned off some important ones,so i decided to check my hi jack logs (i tend to know what i am "ussaly" doing with hijack this) and look throught start ups ect see what had happened while i left myself open.thats when i found that trojan.

yes the sytem got totaly wiped.

i tend to adviod dowload/softpedia nowadays if poss.

used there own site,where you can pick where you want to download from them or from there mirrors.

I.E. ; Download from our server

Safer-Networking Ltd. #1

lllp://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html

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I try to get stuff from cnet as I know its totally legit, also the pcadvisor web site has alot of anti virus and scanning stuff too, its a magazine in britain not sure if its world wide but I trust it.

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk

also I get some interesting stuff from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/ but thats more fun based websites :D

also it seems its still around http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic229472.html

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