Why did I get this screen when I clicked on Syrinx's thread?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

Warning: Visiting this site may harm your computer!
The website at www.democraticunderground.com contains elements from the site icons.iconator.com, which appears to host malware – software that can hurt your computer or otherwise operate without your consent. Just visiting a site that contains malware can infect your computer.
For detailed information about the problems with these elements, visit the Google Safe Browsing diagnostic page for icons.iconator.com.
Learn more about how to protect yourself from harmful software online.
I understand that visiting this site may harm my computer.

It is on a red background.

[hobbit709]

1. All I get is the DU homepage

[Call Me Wesley]

2. It's Betty88's dancing cat,

which is linked from icons.iconator.com.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. now I know what it is, Why did I get it?

[Call Me Wesley]

4. Because the site the cat animation is hosted on

obviously hosts malware. (Not the animation, but it warns you from visiting the site.) Has nothing to do with www.democraticunderground.com. :hi:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

5. Does this mean that my computer is Not Infected? I got this same screen

on here last week in another thread. I forget now which one. Thanks.

[Call Me Wesley]

6. Was it the 'Kitten question' thread?

Betty88 posted there, too.

No, your computer is not infected. You'd need to visit the remote site to be at risk, and that's what Google warns you about, to not go there. No worries.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. kitten question? CMW.. you do realize how many Kitten Question

threads are posted here, right? :p

Honestly though I can't remember. I think I killed that brain cell.

[Call Me Wesley]

8. This one should trigger the same alert:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x9449274

Am I right?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

9. perhaps that was it ...

seems like there was another one though :shrug:

why is this happening?

[Call Me Wesley]

12. Because Google has indexed the linked site,

and shows the alert in your browser.

[blogslut]

13. Here's what's happening

The DUer mentioned is using an image in her signature file that is hosted on the website: inconator.com. Apparently, in order to make money, iconator has joined the auto-downloading spyware dark side. People who visit that site, without browser protection, are forced to download software to their machines that they did not ask for. Linking to images from that site results in warning messages for people who use safe browsers and safe browsing software. If you received a warning message, as long as you decline to open the offending page, then you're fine.

EDIT ADD: I would like to note that the DUer using this signature image is probably unaware of the problem with the site it's hosted on. In fact, I would guess that image was likely created before iconator got desperate for dollars. I'll go even further and make the assumption that the image itself is not harmful and could easily be saved and uploaded to a safe image hosting site like Photobucket, Imageshack or other such place.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

16. a-ha! got it. thanks

:hi:

[Swede]

10. Tell the admins.

Something similar happened last week.:hi:

[Call Me Wesley]

11. I sent an alert for them to check it out.

:hi:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

15. thanks, CMW

:)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

14. ~

:hi: