Wrong URL returned in Google search

Corrupted Google Search data

[gorgeous]

Hi, I recently started experiencing the following problem:
In Google I enter text, hit return and Google returns a list with the correct site Titles. However, the listed url is to completely different sites (completely unrelated and unaffiliated). In addition, if you click on the title link it takes you to this ‘foreign’ site. Thus all of their traffic (google) has completely halted.

A similar problem was reported to you in Apr 2006. However, I could not find resolution to the problem.

How can this happen?

More importantly, how can one fix the corrupted data within google’s index?

I appreciate any insight anyone can offer.

[jdMorgan]

If the links in the search results listings don't point to your domain, then there is no server-side solution.

It sounds like someone has copied your titles and/or pages, and is now out-ranking you with a copy of your own work. If they have copied any of your pages or your entire site, then the solution is to file a claim with Google under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and with the hosting provider for the copy-sites under the equivalent law in the hosting company's country (if they are a signatory to the WIPO treaties).

Alternately, you could sue the owners of these other sites for Copyright infringement if they seem to have any assets worth seizing.

Consult an attorney specializing in intellectual property and internet law.

If they have not copied any of your pages, then the only solution is to improve your own site with more compelling and relevant content, and get more back-links from other high-quality and highly-ranked related sites... In other words, SEO.

One special case: it is possible that they are proxying requests for your pages through their own URLs. In other words, if you request their URL, you may see a request from their server to your server, fetching a copy of your page to be displayed under their own domain and URL. You can test to see if this is the case. This exploit has been termed "proxy hijacking" in discussions here on WebmasterWorld. The solution for this is to block their server from accessing your server.

Jim

[gorgeous]

Hi Jim
Thanks for your quick response. I probably didn't express my problem well. What actually happens is:
In Google, if I want to search for something, I type in in the search box text, e.g. "bbc" and hit return. Rather than return the correct sites and links to them, the Google search returns the correct site Titles but completely wrong addresses. For example the first few entries on a search of "bbc" returns:
BBC-Homepage
xp-antivir.com/
BBC SPORT
antispyware2009.com/
BBC NEWS¦NEW Front Page
tds.seosun.net/go.php?sid=2 - 75k
BBC SPORT¦Football
www.thetop10.com/

[jdMorgan]

Ok, that sounds like your computer has been infected by malware. This could be an active program, or it could simply be a hack of your Windows 'hosts' file. I suggest that you run any and all reputable anti-malware tools, to include:

BitDefender Online Scanner - IE only
[bitdefender.com...]

ESET Online Antivirus Scanner - IE only
[eset.com...]

F-Secure Online Virus Scanner - IE only
[support.f-secure.com...]

Trend Micro HouseCall - Online Virus and Spyware Scan
[housecall.trendmicro.com...]

Windows Live OneCare safety scanner
[onecare.live.com...]

Software Inspector - Secunia, installed program
[secunia.com...]

Ad-aware - Lavasoft, installed program
[lavasoft.com...]

Spybot Search & Destroy: Saferneworking.com, installed program
[safer-networking.org...]

For the three installed programs at the end of my list, be sure to use the "custom install" options; Several of them are supported by toolbar installation deals with Yahoo, etc. Also, some of them have 'real-time' monitoring features that you may not want, especially on an older, slower PC. Using the custom installer allows you to opt-out of installing any unneeded or unwanted 'extras.' In other case, you may need to disable the real-time monitoring from within the program itself. (This said, I use and recommend all three of them.)

If you run these and they don't find a problem, download and install "Hijack This!" and then go to one of the several HJT support forums for help finding and removing the problem.

Once you have addressed the immediate problem, consider installing a reputable anti-virus product (or a better one). If you can't afford an anti-virus program, there are many free anti-virus packages such as AVG, Avast, and others.

Also, consider using a safer browser such as Firefox or Opera for your daily surfing, reserving IE for use only on those sites that don't work with alternative browsers. (The primary 'hole' in IE is the Microsoft proprietary ActiveX scripting feature; None of these alternative browsers support ActiveX, except for the single 'safe' exception of allowing it to be used to start Windows Media Player to play a video or audio track.)

I consider the URLs in this post to be 'authoritative' and therefore believe that they don't violate our general "Don't post URLs" policy.

Jim

[gorgeous]

Thanks Jim, I'll follow the steps you listed above. I forgot to mention that I have on my PC AVG, Ad-aware, Spybot. Every now and again AVG or Ad-aware would find a couple of viruses but Spybot hasn't found anything for a long time which is a bit suspicious. A colleague of mine recommended ESET which I installed and ran last night - then saw you recommended it, too. ESET have 30 days free trial so I had to uninstall AVG. ESET found and healed 8 viruses so I'll continue with the other anti malware tools now.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[g1smd]

The only thing that reliably gets rid of some of those listed in the OP is MalwareBytes. Try that as well.

[jsinger]

MalwareBytes ?

Seems suspicious to me that many people on many sites are talking up Malwarebytes. Can I trust it or is it part of the scam? I've never heard of the software. How is it that only one product can deal with this? The virus was first reported several months ago.

Got stung a few days ago. Nasty. Popups keep urging me to buy "Spyware Guard 2008." And I also see redirects on Google. Very difficult to boot up computer. Even put #*$! icons on my desktop. Multifaceted booger.

I have no idea how I got infected. Haven't had a virus in years.

[gorgeous]

MalwareBytes fixed the problem with the re-directed URLs! I tried ESET beforehand, it found few things but couldn't fix the URLs, MalwareBytes did and my PC seems to have better performance now, too.

Thanks for help - Jim and everyone!

[Samizdata]

I was called out to deal with one of these on Xmas Eve.

The nasty varmint - rogue software that goes by various names ending in 2008 - hijacks Google results (redirecting to other drive-by download pages) and it interferes with access to AVG, SpyBot and Windows Update (and probably all the others).

You can still type in a URL directly, which allows you to get to download.com for a fix.

...

[jdMorgan]

... many people on many sites are talking up Malwarebytes. Can I trust it or is it part of the scam?

When considering using an unknown tool, take a look at reputable IT-security-oriented sites and see if they are talking it down. This factor is more useful than how many people are talking it up in general-population forums. Also, a quick search through some of the "Hijack This!" help forums can give you some similar information: If a 'bad' tool were to be recommended in one of those forums, another HJT expert would likely post a warning, and any organized effort to recommend malware to unsuspecting readers would likely result in revocation of posting privileges on that forum.

Basically, do your research and look at multiple kinds of sources to get a reliable evaluation of any unknown tool. If people would simply type the name of any of the current crop of fake security scanners into Google or Yahoo before installing them, they'd save themselves some money and a whole lot of grief...

Jim

[jsinger]

I got my "gift" on Christmas Eve too. Maybe a new variant.

I see where established members here are recommending Malwarebytes. That's was good enough for me, so I downloaded it last night on another machines. But MWB wouldn't transfer to the affected machine via usb stick.... rootkit problem which many report. Like I said, this thing is multifaceted

You can still type in a URL directly, which allows you to get to download.com for a fix.

I'll try that. Many, many thanks to all!

[jsinger]

Downloaded Malwarebytes on the infected machine but it wouldn't fully install. This thing is smart.

[jdMorgan]

Boot Windows in "Safe mode" and try it again.

Jim