Image Appendix - How Yahoo Funds Spyware
Ben Edelman

All screenshots were captured in August-September 2005.

[ Claria | eXact Advertising | Direct Revenue | 180solutions | Sidefind ]

Claria Showing Yahoo Overture Ads

A Yahoo Overture popunder, delivered by Claria, targeting a Google search for the same phrase. Shown after activating the popunder.

A Yahoo Overture popunder, delivered by Claria, showing sponsored results for "computer" when users visit Dell.com. Shown after activating the popunder and right-clicking on the advertisement link to reveal its destination.

eXact Advertising Showing Yahoo Overture Ads

An eXact auto-opening sidebar that appeared as I ran a search at Google. The sidebar shows Yahoo Overture links, and clicking a link sends users to Overture and on to the advertiser (without passing through any other intermediary). Notice the Overture reference in the browser status bar as I hold my mouse over the first sponsored link.

To typical users, the eXact-delivered Yahoo Overture sidebar appears to be an integrated part of search results -- presumably delivered by Google (or whatever other search engine the user had requested). Notice the absence of any distinctive branding, logo, disclosure, or other identification that the sidebar comes from eXact and Overture. To find such a disclosure, a user must scroll to the bottom of the sidebar. Even there, the disclosure is truncated and hard to read. See below.

eXact's BullsEye service also shows sponsored link listings in freestanding windows. Here too, results are obtained from Yahoo Overture.

Direct Revenue Showing Yahoo Overture Ads

A Yahoo Overture popunder, delivered by Direct Revenue, targeting Dell. Shown after activating the popunder.

The result of clicking on the first link in the searchblazer listing (above). Notice that Dell is being targeted by its own ad -- asking Dell to re-pay to keep visitors already at its site.

180solutions Showing Yahoo Overture Ads

A Yahoo Overture popup, delivered by 180solutions.

The result of clicking on the first link above. Notice top two cookie entries, reflecting traffic flowing through InfoSpace to Yahoo Overture. Some other cookies reflect remnants of other popups launched by other spyware infections on this test machine.

Sidefind Showing Yahoo Overture Ads in Auto-Opening Sidebars

Yahoo Overture ads in an auto-opening sidebar delivered by Sidefind, targeting type-ins to Dell with Dell sponsored links.