Can web search cause infection?

[justuff]

Hi.

When you do a web search and images are shown in the results, can this allow malware onto your computer if the sites or images contain malware. Even if you do not actually go to the sites.

Thanks.

[Remah]

Originally Posted by justuff

Hi.

When you do a web search and images are shown in the results, can this allow malware onto your computer if the sites or images contain malware. Even if you do not actually go to the sites.

Thanks.

I doubt it. Although, it is possible to have malicious features in some image files but generally the search engine will be displaying a thumbnail and not the original file.

[Anupam]

Agree with Remah. Until you access the image itself, I don't think the PC can get infected.

[J_L]

Only if the search engine is malicious or hacked.

[justuff]

Thanks for the help, it sounds logical. I hope you are right, there is already enough to worry about.

[bo.elam]

Originally Posted by justuff

Thanks for the help, it sounds logical. I hope you are right, there is already enough to worry about.

If you like to stop worrying about malware while doing searches, viewing images on a website or while using the Internet, you might want to take a look at Sandboxie. Running your browser under Sandboxies protection is a good step to make your Internet experience worry free.
http://www.sandboxie.com/

Bo

[justuff]

Originally Posted by bo.elam

If you like to stop worrying about malware while doing searches, viewing images on a website or while using the Internet, you might want to take a look at Sandboxie. Running your browser under Sandboxies protection is a good step to make your Internet experience worry free.
http://www.sandboxie.com/

Bo

Thanks. I do use sandboxie and I really like it, unfortunately I think that I have had things punch through it in the past.

[bo.elam]

Originally Posted by justuff

Thanks. I do use sandboxie and I really like it, unfortunately I think that I have had things punch through it in the past.

Sometimes users forget or don't know that the contents of the sandbox has to be deleted. I don't know if this is why you think "things punch through it in the past" but I seen users sometimes question SBIE because they are not aware that the sandbox needs to be deleted. If you close the sandbox and don't delete the contents, if malicious files happen to be in it, a scan might detect them.

Even if the contents have not been deleted, there's nothing to worry about since all activity done while running sandboxed is isolated from the system but its better to delete the contents. I delete my sandbox every time that I close my browser, EMail client, PDF Reader or any application that I run under Sandboxie.

You can set your sandbox to delete automatically on closing or you can right click the Sandboxie icon in the taskbar and choose Delete contents.

Bo

[justuff]

One time that I got infected using sandboxie may have been due to items I deliberately let through, I'm not really sure. But another time while surfing I got a pop up message from sandboxie that it was unable to undo a registry change and I am sure that that was the result of an infection. Both of these incidents were quite a while ago. I have had no problems recently. I think it's a great program.

[bo.elam]

Originally Posted by justuff

But another time while surfing I got a pop up message from sandboxie that it was unable to undo a registry change and I am sure that that was the result of an infection.

Sometimes a sandbox can not be deleted because a file in it is being used by another program. Sort of the same thing can happen with the registry. If the message from sandboxie said that it was unable to undo a registry change, this is probably the message that you saw at that time. Read the explanation to why it happens and the solution.
http://www.sandboxie.com/index.php?SBIE2208

Bo