I use the Zynga toolbar (from Facebook) for games like Farmville. I received a message today saying it was a Malicious Software and it had been blocked.
How do I unblock it? I use it all the time and it is not a Malicious Software.
It uses the website: toolbar.zynga.com/game_switcher/component.php
Ron
Hi greydragonlynx,
On the website this is detected: htxp://s.clicktale.net/WRb.js (apparent malware domain)
Suspected of Cookie Invasion: clicktale.net -------------------- WRBlock
Please download ATF Cleaner by Atribune from here:
http://www.atribune.org/ccount/click.php?id=1
and save the file to your desktop.
* Close all open browser windows
* Run ATF Cleaner by double clicking it.
* Once the program opens, click the Firefox button at the top
* Select Cookies and once that's all set click on the Empty Selected button and it will remove the cookies from your system.
polonus
* Once the program opens, click the Firefox button at the top
And if you don’t have Firefox… ???
Unfortunately that program doesn’t fix the problem. I followed all the instructions and even tried a restart after about the third time of “no files removed” without success.
The only way I’ve managed to get the toolbar to work properly so far is to simply disable Avast, run the toolbar, do what I needed to do and then restart avast.
On a side note, is there anyway y’all could put a quicker way to disable all real time shields at once? Going through 7 gray-out screens asking if I know what I’m doing is kind of a hassle.
I just started having the same problem [ with Firefox & IE ]. It just started today, was there an update that could be causing the problem ? I had to disable Avast in order to play my games [ which I don’t like to do, but … ].
Hi pattigayle,
Avoid toolbars designed to help you cheat in your online games.
There are two “free toolbars” circulating around the web that pretend to enable users to cheat at Zynga games on Facebook, but actually attempt to steal Facebook login credentials. The false toolbars were spotted by Sunbelt researchers and should be avoided at all cost.
But have you made certain that you haven’t this fake Zynga Toolbar?, the fake one steals your facebook password…
http://www.allfacebook.com/toolbars-facebook-password-2010-03
Re: http://www.facebook.com/notes/zonealarm/warning-beware-of-fake-zynga-toolbars/10150164186460510?_fb_noscript=1
So look at the pictures here: http://www.allfacebook.com/toolbars-facebook-password-2010-03?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+allfacebook+%2528Facebook+Blog%2529
polonus
I don’t use the cheat bars. I have the Zymga toolbar for Farmville installed. Everytime I open my browser [ IE or Firefox - It doesn’t happen with Chrome or Safari ] I get a message that a threat has been blocked by the network shield toolbar.zynga.com/game_switcher/component.php - infection url:mal.
The domain on which the phishing page is hosted is constantly changing because in time every domain gets reported, detected and blocked by the browsers. The different domains used had names like apps-facebook-inthemafia(dot)tk,mafiamafiamafiamafia(dot)t35(dot)com, apps-inthemafias-facebook(dot)tk, etc.
The problem is that the toolbars - when they are not pointing towards the phishing page - point to the real Facebook URL, and the switch can happen anytime. It is best to distrust “cheating” toolbars altogether, and access Facebook and other networks and services by typing in the URL yourself or following your own bookmark.
The point is clear: do not download any fake toolbars claiming to help you cheat at games. The only thing they’ll accomplish is having your password stolen, then also consider this from Zynga on the issue of the snag bar:
http://www.thatsnonsense.com/index.php?location=view&id=862
polonus
But, as I said, I don’t have a cheat bar. I have the official Zynga Toolbar. Now what ?
Confirming that this issue is occurring with the official toolbar from Zynga.
I find it very hard to believe that the largest social gaming company is a malware distributor.
Also see, http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=63157.0.
I have send a report on this as a possible false positive, so hopefully they can check why the network shield is blocking the domain zynga.com and if it is no longer suspect be removed from the malicious sites list for the network shield.
It isn’t with the actual toolbar, but the zynga.com domain.
Just because it is the largest only means one thing, it is a bigger target for possible site hacking and this is usually the most common reason why a site is added to the malicious sites list.
Ditto, use it all the time now it is screaming about a THREAT! I have the upgraded paid for version, with FREE telephone support, I don’t know how long you’re supposed to to wait, but I sayed on hold for 18 minutes before I hung up. So, what do we do wait a day or two to see if Zynga is having a problem, disable the AVAST or make ZYNGA an exception?
If it is false, I have not seen them ever take too long correcting it, once it is submitted.
If the site is hacked, they would have to scan clean to be removed from blacklist. How long that would take depends on many things.
The Farmville community is large, so I am sure this will get the attention it deserves, one way or another.
edit: wow, can’t believe I said Farmville deserves attention.
Yes having the same problem myself. I decided to use Avast when my Norton 360 expired today. I am going to Fry’s first thing in the morning to buy another copy. I believe this is Avast trying to get people to buy paid products.
Why would they do that (?) as the paid product has the same malicious sites database used in all versions, free/paid.
If you have money to throw away go right ahead, personally a little time to see what the outcome is would be cheaper all round.
funny how just the name “zynga” sounds already like a piece of malware ;D
That is quite a conclusion to jump to, is your head OK from hitting the ceiling ??? :
Avast!'s whole business model is built around their free product>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemium
How would blocking a toolbar make anyone use their paid versions?
agreed…
this part:
I believe this is Avast trying to get people to buy paid products.was completely irrelevant ::)
1st how would the fact of detecting malware with the free version be a mean to get you acquire the paid version ??? don’t know what sort of grass…okay ;D this would be extremely perverse wouldn’t it ??? :
2d as mentioned by Gargamel360, Avast business practices is far away from anything fishy.
I think the problem is that Norton 360 doesn’t qualify the Zynga Toolbar as malware while avast does.
Remember that every anti-spyware, anti-virus and/or anti-malware program has its own set of definitions. Not every program has the same way of deciding if and when an item is malware. Therefore it isn’t unusual that Norton 360 tells you that your Zynga Toolbar is quite allright, while avast tells you otherwise. The point is that it is suspect and the way forward is not saying one is wrong but to get a second opinion.
My suggestion is to download and run Malwarebytes (malwarebytes.org) and see what they think of the Zynga Toolbar.
Besides: no one can decide for you. If you decide that the program is not a problem, simply do not remove it and keep using it as you’ve always done.