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Google CONSIDERED HARMFUL by Google

Ianf [PersonRank 10]

Thursday, June 5, 2008
16 years ago3,543 views

When visiting a blogspot site (=Blogger/ Google- owned/ operated) via Google's own mobile gateway, I got a "Google Error" notice that [upon subsequent inspection an iframe there containing] a blogger-poll on the same page may be a virus or spyware instance.

"We're sorry... but your query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application. To protect our users, we can't process your request right now.
We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, if you suspect that your computer or network has been infected, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover. [...]" (complete with granularly-encoded links to checker and remover).

That's the iframe following the WWDC keyword/ subhead (check the source)
http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2008/06/gary-krakow-of-msnbc-says-we-need-to.html#poll1
[ the notice only came up when I accessed it as
http://www.google.com/gwt/n?u=http%3A%2F%2Ffakesteve.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fgary-krakow-of-msnbc-says-we-need-to.html]

Inteestingly enough, when the extracted poll-url submitted via gwt/n gateway directly, it came out fine, and, after a while, also the in-context iframe was rendered correctly. Apparently, a case of one indirection too many to stomach for good ol' Sergey n' Larry.

For the record here's the full 333-char long url that Google, if briefly, CONSIDERED HARMFUL.

http://google.com/gwt/n?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Freviews%2Fpolls%2Fdisplay%2F-3682322588401206152%2Fblogger_template%2Frun_app%3Ftxtclr%3D%2523000000%26lnkclr%3D%2523000fcc%26chrtclr%3D%2523000fcc%26font%3Dnormal%2Bnormal%2B100%2525%2BGeorgia%252C%2BSerif%26hideq%3Dtrue%26purl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffakesteve.blogspot.com%252F

(in direct form)

http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-3682322588401206152/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23000000&lnkclr=%23000fcc&chrtclr=%23000fcc&font=normal+normal+100%25+Georgia%2C+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http%3A%2F%2Ffakesteve.blogspot.com%2F

Ianf [PersonRank 10]

16 years ago #

(1) Once again, while attempting to read a page in mobile-friendly manner on a Palm PDA (which renders fine until halfway...)

http://www.google.com/gwt/n?u=http%3A%2F%2Ffakesteve.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fnothing-to-worry-about-but-im-taking.html

(2) the Google proxy server encounters an iframe with a Google poll-widget

<iframe allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='180' name='poll-widget-3682322588401206152' src='http://www.google.com/reviews/polls/display/-3682322588401206152/blogger_template/run_app?txtclr=%23000000&lnkclr=%23000fcc&chrtclr=%23000fcc&font=normal+normal+100%25+Georgia%2C+Serif&hideq=true&purl=http%3A%2F%2Ffakesteve.blogspot.com%2F' style='border:none; width:100%;'></iframe>

(3) turns the src argument into this

http://google.com/gwt/n?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Freviews%2Fpolls%2Fdisplay%2F-3682322588401206152%2Fblogger_template%2Frun_app%3Ftxtclr%3D%2523000000%26lnkclr%3D%2523000fcc%26chrtclr%3D%2523000fcc%26font%3Dnormal%2Bnormal%2B100%2525%2BGeorgia%252C%2BSerif%26hideq%3Dtrue%26purl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffakesteve.blogspot.com%252F

(4) on which it then chokes, ie. declares it an error due to "query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application. To protect our users, we can't process your request right now." (see annotated snapshot below – it's a sans-serif typeface browser). Yet, clearly, it must be a case of one indirection layer too many.

(5) deleting cookies and starting anew, even after reboot, has no effect. Now and then however, in similar circunstances (embedded Google-poll widgets), the poll appears after a number of tries.

(6) can anything be done about it and who/what entity[put at-character here]Google ought to be notified of this?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/2575700289_4baed79f4a.jpg

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