User:Thamilt45342

Malvertisment or Malvert

A Malvertisment (or Malvert) is an advertisment on a webpage that is created with the purpose other than to strictly display information or to act as an advertisment. Generally this is an advertisment that has a nefarious use. Typically these advertisments take the form of a specially crafted Flash insert that takes advantage of a flaw or deficiency found in an early browser plug-in. (example: Flash)

Many big websites show advertisments which they don't host. They will typcially reserve space in the form of "banners" to generate revenue. (WSJ, MSN, CNN.. etc)1 The problem then becomes one of reviewing the cross-linked ads sold through the online media outlet.)

One of the current up trending threats is from adverts that have been infected with code. This code can either take advantage of a deficiency and manipulate the end users system directly or work as a Cross-Site link to an page at another site which can host a more sophisticated attack. An even scarier scenerio might be one where no apparent visable change takes place at all - but where inserted spyware stealthily collects information for examination.)

1 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118040318502016746.html