Google Search marks Softpedia as a harmful website

[Chewy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softpedia

As of September 2007, search results in Google search engine pointing to Softpedia.com are tagged with a "This site may harm your computer." message.

I never did trust them that much, they have too many flakey programs there

[soup]

I found that out yesterday, I was googling a program & clicked on SoftPedia which I have used before, with no problem, when that message came up. Of course I didn't tempt fate to see if it was right or wrong. I just went somewhere else.

[Paul64]

i just found it out too and i was very surprised/shocked, as until now this site didn't even have pop-ups

and now google says that you'll get malware if you visit it??? can someone tell us if this is indeed true?

[locoeng]

Shame on them.

[Chewy]

http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/softpedia.com?domain=softpedia.com&ref=safe&aff_id=0

I am going with google on this till the smoke clears, I temporarily deleted your link loco

that version may be pirated and full of adware/trojans?

[Dan]

http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/sof...=safe&aff_id=0

I am going with google on this till the smoke clears, I temporarily deleted your link loco

that version may be pirated and full of adware/trojans?

I've been using siteadvisor for quite sometime now and if I recall, it used to flag Soft Pedia as a caution. Surprised it's actually rated safe now(by them), even with all the red flags on that summary page

[locoeng]

I downloaded the software and will scan it to see if any thing comes up with Avast.

[Chewy]

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?postid=543279#post543279

the file size seemed a little big?

[locoeng]

avast! Report
* This file is generated automatically
*
* Task 'Simple user interface' used
* Started on Sunday, September 16, 2007 6:18:07 PM
* VPS: 000775-0, 09/16/2007
*

C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\dvddisc.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\HDDImporter.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\ndvddisc.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\CDI\CDI_IMAG.RTF [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\CDI\CDI_TEXT.FNT [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\CDI\CDI_VCD.APP [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\CDI\CDI_VCD.CFG [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\cdr100.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\cdr50s.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\CDROM.CFG [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\CDROM.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\cdu920.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\cr2200cs.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\DVDREALLOC.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\Dws114x.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\geniso.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\GenUDF.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\image.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\ims.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\MMC.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\nero.txt [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\NeroAPI.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\NeroErr.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\neroscsi.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\NeRSDB.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\newtrf.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\ro1420c.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFiles\WNASPI32.DLL [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroFSStandalone.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\NeroRecode_CE_eng.chm [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\Recode.exe [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\ShortCut.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\TMPVImporter.dll [+] is OK
C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero Recode\UDFImporter.dll [+] is OK
Infected files: 0
Total files: 34
Total folders: 3
Total size: 21.9 MB

*
* Task stopped: Sunday, September 16, 2007 6:18:13 PM
* Run-time was 6 second(s)

[jm1647]

I just used the Mcafee site advisor http://www.siteadvisor.com/

and got this for softpedia.com

softpedia.com
Green Verdict Image

We tested this site and didn't find any significant problems.

Are you the owner of this site? Leave a comment

[Chewy]

324,212 Items

they can't even begin to keep a handle on it

like myspace

[admin]

I just used the Mcafee site advisor http://www.siteadvisor.com/

and got this for softpedia.com

softpedia.com
Green Verdict Image

We tested this site and didn't find any significant problems.

Are you the owner of this site? Leave a comment

They tested 11962 software downloads on the site, and I guess they found many malware programs, but not enough to trigger the "caution' since the percentage might be low. The threshold for which Google counts a site as "bad" might be lower though. It's not really Softpedia's fault, well it is, but they are being exploited by software "publishers" out there to make a buck. There is only so much softpedia can do to check every software.

In fact, it's like Google. Google has so many links to spam and fraud sites in it's database that it itself should be considered "dangerous" for people who don't know about these links. The problem is that Google can't check every link, at least not by a human being.

[locoeng]

http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_software/video_encoders/nero_recode.cfm

AD has added Recode to their arsenal...I still need to play with this version to see what is up as it plainly states that it will encode to all the popular formats, but only lists Nero Digital as the supported feature.

[jm1647]

They tested 11962 software downloads on the site, and I guess they found many malware programs, but not enough to trigger the "caution' since the percentage might be low. The threshold for which Google counts a site as "bad" might be lower though. It's not really Softpedia's fault, well it is, but they are being exploited by software "publishers" out there to make a buck. There is only so much softpedia can do to check every software.

In fact, it's like Google. Google has so many links to spam and fraud sites in it's database that it itself should be considered "dangerous" for people who don't know about these links. The problem is that Google can't check every link, at least not by a human being.

Softepedia.com itself comes up clean in Google.

And they posted a news article about Google partnering with StopMalware and the may harm your computer back in February.

As long as there are the crazy people out there making spyware, malware etc. out there, we all have to be on our toes and Google/StopMalware are helping us to do that.

[gonwk]

Hi folks,

So ... what is the verdict guys ... Stay Clear of "Softpedia" for a while!?!?

Thanks,
G!