Watch Live: Congressional Hearing on IRS Scandal

Live Now on TheBlaze Radio: ‘The Buck Sexton Show’

Technology

Liberal Blog ThinkProgress Hit With Malware Message — And a Web Expert We Contacted Isn’t Buying Their Explanation

Oct. 2, 2012 1:11pm Liz Klimas

Tuesday morning into the early afternoon, the site ThinkProgress.org, a blog for the progressive group Center for American Progress, had a malware message when visited through the Google Chrome or Firefox browsers. ThinkProgress claims to have found the issue, but a web expert interviewed by TheBlaze doesn’t quite buy their explanation.

Here are a couple screenshots of the message:

ThinkProgress.org Shows Malware Message on Google Chrome and Firefox Browsers | Finds It to be a Bad Link

The message stated Google detected malicious software on the website that could be installed on your computer should you choose to continue to the site.

“If you’ve visited this site in the past or you trust this site, it’s possible that it has just recently been compromised by a hacker. You should not proceed, and perhaps try again tomorrow or go somewhere else,” the message continued.

The Google message stated that it had already notified ThinkProgress with this information. ThinkProgress tweeted that it was aware of the issue and was investigating what happened. It later tweeted that it found the source of the problem — a link from two years ago.

ThinkProgress.org Shows Malware Message on Google Chrome and Firefox Browsers | Finds It to be a Bad Link

A look at Google’s Safe Browsing diagnostic page for ThinkProgress revealed that Google had did not find the site hosting malicious software within the past 90 days.

While most Twitter users reported experiencing the issue on Chrome, one said Internet Explorer posted the message as well. Safari seemed to be functioning just fine, too.

ThinkProgress.org Shows Malware Message on Google Chrome and Firefox Browsers | Finds It to be a Bad Link

Screenshot of tweets regarding ThinkProgress' website message.

Justin Basch, president and founder of the web company Basch Solutions, gave TheBlaze some insight as to what could be going on and also noted seeing the issue on Firefox.

The short answer is that Basch thinks the message means the site was hacked, which is not indicated in ThinkProgress’ most recent findings mentioned on Twitter. Basch questions ThinkProgress’ explanation as to the malware though.

“It’s highly unlikely that they just happened to ‘link to a virus’ or a viciously attacked website,” he said.

TheBlaze emailed the Center for American Progress’ communications department regarding Basch’s perspective and has not yet heard back.

Basch also noted that ThinkProgress uses the platform Wordpress, one that he said isn’t too difficult to enter. He told TheBlaze “their website is wide open.” He was able to find their admin panel within 10 seconds.

He doesn’t think visiting the site would automatically infect your computer with malware, if it was in fact hacked, but said it was more so the type of attack meant to take down the website.

“It’s still a virus and you don’t want to be on the site longer than you have to be though,” Basch said in an interview.

So why are Chrome and Firefox providing an error message while other browsers are not? Basch said some browsers are cached, meaning they are seeing an older version of the site before it could have been hacked. He also said that some browsers might not post a malware warning like Chrome and Firefox.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (18)

chetnapier
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 10:47am
Its a wetware problem

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Truth4SureNuff
Posted on October 3, 2012 at 8:25am
Progressive-ism is akin to the swine flu, you catch it, get sick, pass it on to others with weak immune systems, then you develop anti bodies to fight re-infection

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Anadara
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 6:24pm
Evidently, their promiscuous behavior extends to their website. They caught a case of virtual Chlamydia.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
TopAssistant
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 6:07pm
I got the same message hen I went to Ammoland.com to confirm a subscription.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Lion420
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 2:32pm
My security software doesn’t like chrome or firefox. I like using Opera. I’ve NEVER had any problems…ever.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
UCSDKID
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 2:31pm
I think it would be hilarious if someone did create a computer virus and named it Obama.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Mr. H.
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 2:20pm
ThinkProgress.org needs to look at the JAVA script driving their site. It could be they have an updated version that considers all of their content MalWare unfit for consumption.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
00100111
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 2:12pm
Well, “Progressive Thinking” is most definitely malware.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
NSDQ
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 2:03pm
I was certain somehow Bush was getting blamed for this color me shocked

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
The Third Archon
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 1:54pm
“So why are Chrome and Firefox providing an error message while other browsers are not?”
Because Internet Explorer has no malware protection to speak of, lol.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- voting-for-romney
  Posted on October 23, 2012 at 4:12am
  Internet Explorer 9 has its own “Smart Screen” protection feature, and does not rely on Google malware engines, which, in this case, might be a mistaken false positive?
  
  http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/ie9.aspx
  
  It is also very difficult to attack the new versions of Windows that have Microsoft Security Essentials enabled, most computer malware is installed due to user error or contact with other infected computers, rather than by operating system design?
  
  Word Press, which is run commonly run on Linux platforms, has to be regularly updated because the base language, PHP, is a very difficult to secure language, suggesting that even linux machines have to be constantly updated, trying to make it sound like Microsoft products are inferior only attacks an industry with good paying jobs? Did the writer say, yeah, you got hacked because you were using linux? That is not politically correct to say that linux, a free operating system, has to be patched just as often as Microsoft?
  
  How many open source (free) communities are out there that survive the constant demand for updates out of the thousands of packages out there? Microsoft is still here today, because we don’t depend on the whims of computer programmers who don’t get paid?
  
  All computer operating systems have to be updated and backed up with clean versions so that when, not if, you get hacked, you can recover quickly?
  
  Report this comment
Lando
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 1:53pm
“Basch also noted that ThinkProgress uses the platform WordPress, one that he said isn’t too difficult to enter”

isn’t Wordpress the same platform The Blaze uses

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Pablo
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 1:50pm
Maybe Google just read the content on their site.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 1:49pm
The entire progressive left is malware. Has been………

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 1:36pm
Yes.But more importantly,How can they blame Bush?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
cessna152
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 1:21pm
Liberalism is a sickness and therefore picked up correctly as a virus….incurable, denial causing virus that makes you stupid.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- hwyllie
  Posted on October 2, 2012 at 1:28pm
  lol, that was great..
  
  Report this comment
floridareader
Posted on October 2, 2012 at 1:16pm
See? In the liberal world not even the electronic brain works fine.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.