[CLOSED] Misc: Drive By Plugin Download?

[CAM]

I received this message whilst browsing the Lotus 97 thread in Behind the Red Door:

VLC Plugin-Warn.jpg

I must point out the advertiser in the shot is for reference only, I am not sure their ad is responsible but that is likely to be the first question asked, who's ad was up?

My concern is this plugin has attempted to run when Edugeek normally doesn't ask for something to be installed. It also froze IE8 briefly before finally displaying the page and says that the publisher is unverified, wouldn't the VLC team be big enough by now to be verified?

It just sets a whole load of alarm bells off and makes me suspicious.

[ZeroHour]

I received this message whilst browsing the Lotus 97 thread in Behind the Red Door:

VLC Plugin-Warn.jpg

I must point out the advertiser in the shot is for reference only, I am not sure their ad is responsible but that is likely to be the first question asked, who's ad was up?

My concern is this plugin has attempted to run when Edugeek normally doesn't ask for something to be installed. It also froze IE8 briefly before finally displaying the page and says that the publisher is unverified, wouldn't the VLC team be big enough by now to be verified?

It just sets a whole load of alarm bells off and makes me suspicious.

That error is saying you have a plugin by VLC installed that needs to be enabled for the first time, not that its trying to install vlc plugin.
VLC probably dont sign the dll file with a root cert you trust, thats used by the activex plugin which is why it says unverified. I just tried it with a fresh install myself on vm and it does appear unverified.
VLC does have an activex plugin which was probably triggered to be enabled by video/audio on the ad. I never install the activex part of vlc myself as I didnt want it to start grabbing associations in the browser for meta types.
I suspect the same behaviour will happen for you on VLC ActiveX plugin test page

[CAM]

mscomctl.ocx?

[Arthur]

VLCs ActiveX plug-in is called axvlc.dll. Like ZeroHour, I never install it as it is pointless.