Researchers Say Adware Firm Still Duping Consumers

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February 22, 2006 (3:04 PM EST)

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By Gregg Keizer , TechWeb Technology News

Anti-spyware researchers and a controversial Web advertising supplier are escalating a verbal feud that goes to the heart of what constitutes ethical online advertising.

Adware supplier 180solutions is blasting spyware researchers for disclosing a hack into the Bellevue, Wash.-based company's installation software. However, the increasingly irate researchers have hit back, saying that they are weary of working with 180, which, they claim, uses a flawed business model that depends on getting software on users' machines without their consent.

Last week, noted independent spyware researcher Ben Edelman spotted, logged, and recorded a download of 180's Zango software -- and a dozen other adware packages -- by an affiliate exploiting the since-patched Windows Metafile (WMF) vulnerability in Internet Explorer. Zango was installed, said Edelman, without any user confirmation or consent. Sunbelt Software, a Florida-based anti-spyware software maker, confirmed Edelman's account Tuesday.

"What's newsworthy here is that 180solutions got installed, even though 180 last year told the world that these nonconsensual installations were impossible," said Edelman.

Late in 2005, 180 announced that it would require all sites distributing its software to use its S3 (for Safe and Secure Search) technology, which "makes it much harder to subvert end user consent and provides us immediate recourse should someone abuse our distribution network," said 180 chief executive Keith Smith in a Dec. 6 statement.

"It's very easy to hack S3," said Edelman. "It just takes one line of code." According to Edelman, all that's required is a single call to Windows SendKeys API.

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