How to block ISP injected advertisements in webpages

stephenw10 · Oct 15, 2014, 8:20 PM

Wow indeed. :o
There appears to be a script associated with it. Can you not block that with no-script or some equivalent? Doesn't help you with mobile devices though.

Steve

johnpoz · Oct 15, 2014, 8:50 PM

looks like they are loading a script from adserver.adtech.de, can you not just put in a host over ride for that fqdn in pfsense to 127.0.0.1 to prevent the script from loading?

If they are injecting - you can just use a vpn service. But also vote for change ISP, how do they get away with such stuff. Injecting anything into a data stream between the http client and the server is BS plain and simple no matter how you look at it.

Supermule · Oct 16, 2014, 3:37 AM

When I use www.yougetsignal.com I dont get the injected popup at all.

Derelict · Oct 16, 2014, 3:48 AM

Nor is there an iframe tag in the source. Shady stuff.

Supermule · Oct 16, 2014, 3:56 AM

But very slow response on some of the links on the front page.

Especially the reverse tools.

johnpoz · Oct 16, 2014, 9:19 AM

supermule are you on the same ISP as the OP? His whole point is that his isp is injecting the ads.

shebang1234 · Oct 16, 2014, 12:39 PM

Wait, wait, wait.

I showed two versions of the same webpage. The right one is what I'd usually see, the left one is what I am served when the ISP injects the ads.

They show me a completely different webpage, one that has ads and their own scripts. They just include an iframe for the webpage that I wanted.

Supermule · Oct 16, 2014, 12:47 PM

Do you have third party cookies and javascript disabled in the browser?

Adblock Plus has that option.

kejianshi · Oct 16, 2014, 12:50 PM

Is everyone 100% sure this isn't a DNS problem?

I'd try this with a fresh install of ubuntu or live CD and stipulate google dns servers to see what happens.

shebang1234 · Oct 16, 2014, 1:05 PM

pfSense is configured to use Google DNS servers and nothing else. ISP DNS servers are unreliable and have high latency.

Derelict: The certificates are signed by DigiCert. I don't think I've ever seen an ad on facebook or another https site to confirm if they are able inject ads in them.

Moreover, I have seen those advertisements across multiple devices. Ubuntu, WinXP, Win7, Win8.1, Android.

Supermule · Oct 16, 2014, 1:24 PM

Are you using Comcast??

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/10/comcast_using_javascript_to_inject_advertising_from_wifi_hotspots/

kejianshi · Oct 16, 2014, 1:59 PM

I'd bet its something running on your end causing this because what ISP would want to alienate customers by doing such a thing unless they are the only ISP around to chose from?

johnpoz · Oct 16, 2014, 2:10 PM

Why would some malware or ad producing junkware on his client promote his ISP packages? How would that show up on his phones, etc..

@OP you mention "by blocking the domain the ads reside on in AdBlock Plus"

So just do that at pfsense dns over rides, and point all your clients to pfsense dns forwarder. From you image looks that the script is loaded from adtech.de - so as I already mentioned over ride this via pfsense dns forwarder host over rides.

kejianshi · Oct 16, 2014, 2:24 PM

I get adds on lots of pages, but they are not "injected". Most websites have advertisements.

I'm just saying, its in the ISPs interest to do this?

johnpoz · Oct 16, 2014, 2:39 PM

Clearly they think it is.. did you see the to copies of the page he showed. The left side clearly has been altered, while the right side shows not such modifications.

kejianshi · Oct 16, 2014, 3:17 PM

I agree something is up, for sure.

I just don't think the ISP has that much control to be able to inject whatever they want into whatever web page they like easily.

Nor do I feel its in their interest to do so.

Thats why I'm wondering about other explanations.

Normally I suspect a hijacked browser when I see stuff like this.

He says its across a variety of devices, so then I start thinking maybe its a DNS issue.

If its really as bad as the ISP screwing with their own customers, then VPN is the way to go I think.

Or dump the ISP and try another?

stephenw10 · Oct 16, 2014, 3:30 PM

Did you follow Supermule's link to the report that Comcast are doing this. The OP is using MTNL so I'm guessing they're in India, not Comcast anyway. Technically it's not difficult at all if they are running any sort of proxy. For example:
http://www.ex-parrot.com/pete/upside-down-ternet.html

Steve

KOM · Oct 16, 2014, 5:06 PM

I just don't think the ISP has that much control to be able to inject whatever they want into whatever web page they like easily.

It is trivially easy for an ISP to do this. Why? The universal answer to all questions: money. Same reason why some ISPs are hijacking NXDOMAIN DNS responses and feeding people loaded ad pages in their place?

shebang1234 · Oct 16, 2014, 8:49 PM

I can confirm that this is something that the ISP is doing. The ads are provided by adphonso (something that I forgot to mention earlier.) They very proudly talk about their "solutions" to make communication between ISPs and customers easier. (wtf?)

There are records of MTNL customers complaining about adphonso ads all over the internet. Never became a hype though.
The ISP is government controlled so I doubt if they really care whether or not they lose customers (I mean they've never behaved like it.) I don't have a choice here; I'd have switched to a different ISP long ago, if I could have.

EDIT: I have blocked both adphonso and adtech. Purpose of this message was to check if there was a way for it to not spoil my layout either.
EDIT2: Removed link.

Derelict · Oct 16, 2014, 5:35 PM

That's really unfortunate. Tunnel all your traffic through a VPN I guess.

(suppress desire to rant libertarian.)

I set up vpnbook.com last night to test something. They have free OpenVPN servers on UDP 53, UDP 25000, TCP 80, TCP 443. Three of those will be pretty hard to block with a generic rule. TCP/80 is probably going to be worthless to you. Depends on how locked down/proxied your outbound traffic is.