Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
13-08-2009, 23:03
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#1
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Inactive
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 5
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Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
After finding my search option redirected to a VM search page, a little investigation found that VM had actually managed to inflict a change on my browsers settings. Note this effected a change to browser settings on my machine.
This view has been effectively confirmed as correct by VM support.
An opt-out option is on the page you end up on, but VM impose the change and expect you to find it and opt out.
This is the latest in the VM/phorm/data rape your customers saga.
http://www.virginmedia.com/myvirginm...r/feedback.php
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13-08-2009, 23:08
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#2
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Inactive
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 9
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
im not supprised, i was using opendns in my router (altho this has been turned off last month due to net speeds ) and well i have not had those pages appear yet.
so all those that hate it use open dns to save yourself the hassle, its also great thing that protects you and family you can config parental controls and restrictions. we use opendns at work also which filters out social networking sites etc...
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13-08-2009, 23:10
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#3
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Inactive
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Scotland
Age: 51
Services: 20mb, Tv, Phone
Posts: 2,849
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
I saw this earlier and as a result checked out my registry and browser and nothing there mentioning a ryanvm (might have it wrong but had it correct when I checked) entry.
I also tried browsing to see if I got the adavanced DNS search thing and I did, still without any changes to registry or browser, so I went to the page you've linked to and opted out.
Is it a security weakness in certain browsers that's allowing it to be so easily compromised?
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13-08-2009, 23:11
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#4
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cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Mansfield, Notts
Age: 44
Services: Virgin Media Telephone and 100Mb broadband, Sky Q
Posts: 1,996
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
Not a change to your browsers settings. It's a change in how Virgin handle DNS lookups or rather DNS lookups that aren't successfull. As far as I can tell, and I haven't proved this. Use the opendns service you won't get this.
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13-08-2009, 23:13
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#5
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Inactive
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Swansea
Age: 48
Services: Inhumations, for the right price
Posts: 517
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
Over react much?
Ok, so VM have introduced this change, you can opt out via the link that you posted.
Reading through the info, it says that it only kicks in when you misstype a url, not on any sort of search (or browser settings) as it works via DNS.
So calm down & opt out.
Thanks for the link tho.
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13-08-2009, 23:14
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#6
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Inactive
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Scotland
Age: 51
Services: 20mb, Tv, Phone
Posts: 2,849
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
Does it really matter?
Doesn't OpenDNS do the same thing or something similar?
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13-08-2009, 23:16
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#7
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Inactive
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Swindon
Services: TiVo
110MB BB
Phone Line
Posts: 3,087
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
It's just them sending you too a VM Page when a DNS Results aint found..
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13-08-2009, 23:28
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#8
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Inactive
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 9
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
Quote:
Originally Posted by moaningmags
Does it really matter?
Doesn't OpenDNS do the same thing or something similar?
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instead of using virginmedias DNS tables it uses its own one, and you can customise it (block sites etc..) and also very good for the family (especially when you got the little ones) when you don't want them to go on any offensive websites. (bit like using a parental control program)
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13-08-2009, 23:34
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#9
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cf.mega poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Age: 36
Services: V BB 350
Posts: 4,099
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
iv opted out just because i never use the address bar i do my stuff on google lol
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13-08-2009, 23:42
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#10
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Inactive
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Swindon
Services: TiVo
110MB BB
Phone Line
Posts: 3,087
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
Can a mod change the title? It's a bit like being in Eastenders here sometimes!
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14-08-2009, 00:00
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#11
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Inactive
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Northants
Age: 80
Services: Sky Unlimited FibrePro
Sky Talk
Sky+HD
Posts: 5,122
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
I opted out as I object to VM making even more money out of me. I already pay full price for my BB via my subscription.
In any case such "value added services" should be OPT IN not opt out.
Still no one expects slime ball companies who stealthily steal and no doubt sell our click stream data to play by the rules.
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14-08-2009, 00:07
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#12
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Virgin Media Staff
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Manchester
Services: 360 x2, Maxit TV, Sky Sports and Sky Cinema. Gig1
Posts: 17,929
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick Fisher
I opted out as I object to VM making even more money out of me. I already pay full price for my BB via my subscription.
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And by Virgin making money out this, then its a way of keeping your subscription price down.
Quote:
Still no one expects slime ball companies who stealthily steal and no doubt sell our click stream data to play by the rules.
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And what exactly do you mean by stealthily steal? As far as I can see Virgin have been quite upfront about this
__________________
I work for Virgin Media but all views are my own.
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14-08-2009, 00:09
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#13
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Inactive
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Swindon
Services: TiVo
110MB BB
Phone Line
Posts: 3,087
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
Quote:
Still no one expects slime ball companies who stealthily steal and no doubt sell our click stream data to play by the rules.
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Just what is the issue? It's not like, they installed a KeyLogger and are logging all of your strokes and taking screenshots and storing them on a remote server are they?
Jasus, talk about over acting. You need to seriously think about what your saying here chap..
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14-08-2009, 00:11
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#14
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Inactive
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Crayford
Services: 20mb, Phone, XL V+
Posts: 50
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
Just looked at the OpenDNS site and they frequently suggest that you will get faster DNS lookups. Can anyone confirm that, as it seems unlikely that a lookup from OpenDNS in San Francisco (if the geolocation was right) 10 hops away is going to be faster than the virgin server sitting 5 hops away (194.84.4.100) and significantly closer.
(I know this wasn't the original point of this thread, just wondering if anyone is getting faster)
As to the original point, I rarely get addresses wrong, otherwise I would be googling anyway.
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14-08-2009, 00:15
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#15
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Inactive
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Scotland
Age: 51
Services: 20mb, Tv, Phone
Posts: 2,849
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Re: Virgin Media Hijack customers browser search options
I have google as my home page and as my default search engine and just about everytime I open my browser I either go to a site from my favourites or I google it.
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