Getting malware on your computer can be devastating, but at least its usually easy to avoid — unless, of course, popular sites are spreading it via legitimate advertisements. A security firm recently discovered that CryptoWall ransomware, one of the most insidious pieces of malware in the last few years, was making inroads with legitimate online advertising services, including Yahoo. Security researcher Chris Larsen was investigating where CryptoWall comes from and how it continues to spread when he made a surprising discovery: ads.yahoo.com, the server that hosts Yahoos advertising, sometimes sends users to sketchy Eastern European sites where CryptoWall thrives.
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