Google Says I Have A Virus ?

[Crushdepth]

I just tried to run a search on Google and got the error message below. I am wondering if I really do have a problem or if Google is having some kind of bad day ? I run Avast virus scanner its always up to date.

Anyway, guess I've got some scanning to do...

Edit: Spybot says I'm clean. I installed Zone Alarm and in the initial run it said something called 'cabdirectory.exe' was trying to access the internet. I can't remember seeing this before so I blocked it, but Google still says I have a problem...

We're sorry...

... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that your computer or network has been infected.

We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your computer is free of viruses and other spurious software.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on Google.

Edited April 22, 2005 by Crushdepth

[Thomas_Merton]

I just tried to run a search on Google and got the error message below. I am wondering if I really do have a problem or if Google is having some kind of bad day ? I run Avast virus scanner its always up to date.

Anyway, guess I've got some scanning to do...

Edit: Spybot says I'm clean. I installed Zone Alarm and in the initial run it said something called 'cabdirectory.exe' was trying to access the internet. I can't remember seeing this before so I blocked it, but Google still says I have a problem...

We're sorry...

... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that your computer or network has been infected.

We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your computer is free of viruses and other spurious software.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on Google.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Try this link:

http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm

it's Google without a lot of Google's "nastier" parts.

Let us know if it works.

Edited April 22, 2005 by Thomas_Merton

[Crushdepth]

Scroogle works fine, Google still doesn't. I reset my router but no luck either. Hmmm...odd.

Edited April 22, 2005 by Crushdepth

[Thomas_Merton]

Scroogle works fine, Google still doesn't. I reset my router but no luck either. Hmmm...odd.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Then you might be interested in this, from a previous posting:

Google is not infallible.

Google creates a deal of criticism throughout the web community. Please see:

• http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue39/search-engines/ for an academic approach to this criticism.

• http://www.google-watch.org/index.html an organisation that monitors Google's activities, particularly on privacy issues.

Google watch’s principle criticism is this:

1. Google's immortal cookie:

Google was the first search engine to use a cookie that expires in 2038. This was at a time when federal websites were prohibited from using persistent cookies altogether. Now it's years later, and immortal cookies are commonplace among search engines; Google set the standard because no one bothered to challenge them. This cookie places a unique ID number on your hard disk. Anytime you land on a Google page, you get a Google cookie if you don't already have one. If you have one, they read and record your unique ID number.

2. Google records everything they can:

For all searches they record the cookie ID, your Internet IP address, the time and date, your search terms, and your browser configuration. Increasingly, Google is customizing results based on your IP number. This is referred to in the industry as "IP delivery based on geolocation."

3. Google retains all data indefinitely:

Google has no data retention policies. There is evidence that they are able to easily access all the user information they collect and save.

4. Google won't say why they need this data:

Inquiries to Google about their privacy policies are ignored. When the New York Times (2002-11-28) asked Sergey Brin about whether Google ever gets subpoenaed for this information, he had no comment.

5. Google hires spooks:

Matt Cutts, a key Google engineer, used to work for the National Security Agency. Google wants to hire more people with security clearances, so that they can peddle their corporate assets to the spooks in Washington.

6. Google's toolbar is spyware:

With the advanced features enabled, Google's free toolbar for Explorer phones home with every page you surf, and yes, it reads your cookie too. Their privacy policy confesses this, but that's only because Alexa lost a class-action lawsuit when their toolbar did the same thing, and their privacy policy failed to explain this. Worse yet, Google's toolbar updates to new versions quietly, and without asking. This means that if you have the toolbar installed, Google essentially has complete access to your hard disk every time you connect to Google (which is many times a day). Most software vendors, and even Microsoft, ask if you'd like an updated version. But not Google. Any software that updates automatically presents a massive security risk.

7. Google's cache copy is illegal:

Judging from Ninth Circuit precedent on the application of U.S. copyright laws to the Internet, Google's cache copy appears to be illegal. The only way a webmaster can avoid having his site cached on Google is to put a "noarchive" meta in the header of every page on his site. Surfers like the cache, but webmasters don't. Many webmasters have deleted questionable material from their sites, only to discover later that the problem pages live merrily on in Google's cache. The cache copy should be "opt-in" for webmasters, not "opt-out."

8. Google is not your friend:

By now Google enjoys a 75 percent monopoly for all external referrals to most websites. Webmasters cannot avoid seeking Google's approval these days, assuming they want to increase traffic to their site. If they try to take advantage of some of the known weaknesses in Google's semi-secret algorithms, they may find themselves penalized by Google, and their traffic disappears. There are no detailed, published standards issued by Google, and there is no appeal process for penalized sites. Google is completely unaccountable. Most of the time Google doesn't even answer email from webmasters.

9. Google is a privacy time bomb:

With 200 million searches per day, most from outside the U.S., Google amounts to a privacy disaster waiting to happen. Those newly-commissioned data-mining bureaucrats in Washington can only dream about the sort of slick efficiency that Google has already achieved.

Should you wish to use a search engine that uses Google but eliminates these privacy issues, try:

http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm

[Crushdepth]

Ok I think its actually Google that is crapping out - running a search now delivers a file not found error on its own search results.

Thanks for the Google info. The thing that irritates me the most is that I am sure that certain governments will be completely unable to keep their noses out of it. I don't mind Google using it for their own profiteering.

Edited April 22, 2005 by Crushdepth

[waldwolf]

Crushdepth - From your post, you indicate prior to the Google problem you apparently did not use a firewall, so as Google advised, you most likely have acquired a virus, or two, or three, or............?

Zone Alarm is waving a red flag, basically saying "Hey...someone is trying to call home. Should I let them connect?"

Spybot S&D is not an antivirus detector. It is a spyware detection utility. (More here.) If you have been surfing the net (especially via broadband) without any type firewall and relying only on Spybot S&D, god only knows what malware your system may contain. If you do have a virus, changing search engines, browsers, even your underwear is not going to eliminate the problem. You must find and remove the virus(s). Not to be crude, but having a virus is like having an STD. Changing partners won't cure your infection. (Something like Trend's Pc-cillin may.)

Would strongly recommend you run several of the free online virus checkers listed here. Then obtain and install your own antivirus program. A free one you can download is AVG here. While not free, a highly recommended one (with free 30 day trial) is NOD32 here. All of the free online scanners can also provide you with a good antivirus utility, for a price.

good luck

[Phil Conners]

Almost all ISP's in Thailand send all web requests through a transparent caching proxy server. This cause all traffic from each ISP to appear as coming from the same IP address, so if any PC has a virus Google blocks the proxy servers IP address and everybody using that ISP will be affected.

Don't you just love Thailands Internet infrastructure.

[webhost]

This problem can occur due to no fault of your own. It occurs when a previous internet user connected to the same dynamic IP address assigned to you by your Internet provider was sending port requests to Google. The best way to remedy this is to reconnect to your internet provider to obtain a new dynamic IP address.

[Crushdepth]

Crushdepth - From your post, you indicate prior to the Google problem you apparently did not use a firewall, so as Google advised, you most likely have acquired a virus, or two, or three, or............?

Thanks Waldwolf. I have a hardware firewall, but I added a zone alarm as well last night (I was using the XP firewall but had to turn it off a few days ago when it stopped working properly after the latest updates). I ran a virus scan overnight, didn't find anything. Today its working ok and still haven't rebooted.

Really don't know what happened, but at least its gone.

[redwood13]

This problem can occur due to no fault of your own. It occurs when a previous internet user connected to the same dynamic IP address assigned to you by your Internet provider was sending port requests to Google. The best way to remedy this is to reconnect to your internet provider to obtain a new dynamic IP address.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, last January I had the same problem as the original poster and the answer you've given seems to be the correct one. Virus scans, etc. were all negative. In my case it went on for a few days, off and on and then after that no further trouble. Others have reported similar instances.

-redwood

[Crushdepth]

The problem is back - but I am sure its not my machine. I just rebooted my computer in Linux but Google still claims I am sending it automated requests.

(I've got both windows XP and Mandrake linux on my PC, I just installed the Linux 2 days ago).

Any thoughts ?

Edited April 23, 2005 by Crushdepth

[triplegee]

I am now getting the same message. Entering the code shown on the page allows me to continue.

According to THIS ARTICLE it's Googles efforts to block some sort of the phpBB vulnerability that is causing the issue.