Paypal is redirecting "Donations" to viglink.com?

andrewbb · (Nov 5, 2016)

This is the redirection link that is ONLY visible if you right-click on the Donation button and select 'Copy link address':

http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_147839002580313&key=07fb2a1f7863b1992bda53cccc658569&libId=iv5t8z6q01000dx6000DAkx7eydyz4q4d&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2F&v=1&out=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paypal.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Fwebscr%3Fcmd%3D_donations%26business%3Dandrewbb%2540gmail%252ecom%26lc%3DUS%26item_name%3DTalkFL%252eorg%26no_note%3D0%26cn%3DThanks%2520for%2520keeping%2520TalkFL%252eorg%2520ad%2520free%2521%26no_shipping%3D1%26currency_code%3DUSD%26bn%3DPP%252dDonationsBF%253abtn_donate_SM%252egif%253aNonHosted&title=TalkFL.org&txt=%3Cimg%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paypalobjects.com%2Fwebstatic%2Fen_US%2Fi%2Fbtn%2Fpng%2Fbtn_donate_74x21.png%22%20alt%3D%22Donate%22%3E

This is the original Paypal code behind the Donation button:

andrewbb · (Nov 5, 2016)

The problem occurs in Windows Chrome and Safari (iPhone).

andrewbb · (Nov 5, 2016)

Try it yourself.

Go to the link above, right-click, and select "Copy link address". Then paste that somewhere like Notepad.

Somehow it gets transformed into a link to viglink.com

andrewbb · (Nov 6, 2016)

Some tests from this morning 11/6/2016 at 9:30am:

'Copy link address' from admin link on this page (reset the clipboard):

http://cityoflakeland.activeboard.com/m2364584/profile/

'Copy link address' on PayPal's Donate button code in the first post above:

http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_147844251115340&key=07fb2a1f7863b1992bda53cccc658569&libId=iv5z4dl101000dx6000DAnr5gszbn&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ft62858138%2Fpaypal-is-redirecting-donations-to-viglinkcom%2F%3Fpage%3Dlast%23lastPostAnchor&v=1&type=U&out=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paypal.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Fwebscr%3Fcmd%3D_donations%26business%3Dandrewbb%2540gmail%252ecom%26lc%3DUS%26item_name%3DTalkFL%252eorg%26no_note%3D0%26cn%3DThanks%2520for%2520keeping%2520TalkFL%252eorg%2520ad%2520free%2521%26no_shipping%3D1%26currency_code%3DUSD%26bn%3DPP%252dDonationsBF%253abtn_donate_SM%252egif%253aNonHosted&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Fp%2Freply%2F%3FtopicID%3D62858138&title=Paypal%20is%20redirecting%20%22Donations%22%20to%20viglink.com%3F%20-%20TalkFL.org&txt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paypal.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Fwebscr%3Fcmd%3D_donations%26amp%3Bbusiness%3Dandrewbb%2540gmail%252ecom%26amp%3Blc%3DUS%26amp%3Bitem_name%3DTalkFL%252eorg...

'Copy link address' to reset the clipboard again:

http://cityoflakeland.activeboard.com/m2364584/profile/

This is "Copy link address" from viglink.com by itself (in the 3rd post above):

http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_147844253317742&key=07fb2a1f7863b1992bda53cccc658569&libId=iv5z4dl101000dx6000DAnr5gszbn&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ft62858138%2Fpaypal-is-redirecting-donations-to-viglinkcom%2F%3Fpage%3Dlast%23lastPostAnchor&v=1&type=U&out=http%3A%2F%2Fviglink.com%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Fp%2Freply%2F%3FtopicID%3D62858138&title=Paypal%20is%20redirecting%20%22Donations%22%20to%20viglink.com%3F%20-%20TalkFL.org&txt=%3Cspan%3Eviglink%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3E.%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3Ecom%3C%2Fspan%3E

andrewbb · (Nov 6, 2016)

Last night, I tried the same "Donate" button code in the 1st page on an iPhone 4s running Safari, with the same redirect to viglink.com

Some witnesses overheard the call to PayPal's tech support. I got cut off, then posted 3 tech support requests on PayPal.com/mts

andrewbb · (Nov 6, 2016)

PayPal.com/mts hover shows correctly at the bottom of the Chrome browser, right-click and 'Copy link address' becomes this:

http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_147844324086312&key=07fb2a1f7863b1992bda53cccc658569&libId=iv6qx9tp01000dx6000DAnr5gszbn&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ft62858138%2Fpaypal-is-redirecting-donations-to-viglinkcom%2F%3Fpage%3Dlast%23lastPostAnchor&v=1&type=U&out=http%3A%2F%2Fpaypal.com%2Fmts&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Fp%2Freply%2F%3FtopicID%3D62858138&title=Paypal%20is%20redirecting%20%22Donations%22%20to%20viglink.com%3F%20-%20TalkFL.org&txt=%3Cspan%3EPayPal%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3E.%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3Ecom%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3E%2F%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3Emts%3C%2Fspan%3E

(Nov 6, 2016)

Testing in FireFox & IE, indicates the code resides in the browsers. And IE's code returns slightly different results. See below:

FireFox

http://cityoflakeland.activeboard.com/m2364584/profile/

http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_147844399947512&key=07fb2a1f7863b1992bda53cccc658569&libId=iv6rd34601000dx6000DAmoqmls4p&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ft62858138%2Fpaypal-is-redirecting-donations-to-viglinkcom%2F&v=1&type=U&out=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paypal.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Fwebscr%3Fcmd%3D_donations%26business%3Dandrewbb%2540gmail%252ecom%26lc%3DUS%26item_name%3DTalkFL%252eorg%26no_note%3D0%26cn%3DThanks%2520for%2520keeping%2520TalkFL%252eorg%2520ad%2520free%2521%26no_shipping%3D1%26currency_code%3DUSD%26bn%3DPP%252dDonationsBF%253abtn_donate_SM%252egif%253aNonHosted&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ff626011%2Fgeneral-discussion%2F&title=Paypal%20is%20redirecting%20%22Donations%22%20to%20viglink.com%3F%20-%20TalkFL.org&txt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paypal.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Fwebscr%3Fcmd%3D_donations%26amp%3Bbusiness%3Dandrewbb%2540gmail%252ecom%26amp%3Blc%3DUS%26amp%3Bitem_name%3DTalkFL%252eorg...

http://cityoflakeland.activeboard.com/m2364584/profile/

http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_147844402807614&key=07fb2a1f7863b1992bda53cccc658569&libId=iv6rd34601000dx6000DAmoqmls4p&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ft62858138%2Fpaypal-is-redirecting-donations-to-viglinkcom%2F&v=1&type=U&out=http%3A%2F%2Fviglink.com%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ff626011%2Fgeneral-discussion%2F&title=Paypal%20is%20redirecting%20%22Donations%22%20to%20viglink.com%3F%20-%20TalkFL.org&txt=%3Cspan%3Eviglink%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3E.%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3Ecom%3C%2Fspan%3E

http://cityoflakeland.activeboard.com/m2364584/profile/

http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_147844406269716&key=07fb2a1f7863b1992bda53cccc658569&libId=iv6rd34601000dx6000DAmoqmls4p&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ft62858138%2Fpaypal-is-redirecting-donations-to-viglinkcom%2F&v=1&type=U&out=http%3A%2F%2Fpaypal.com%2Fmts&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ff626011%2Fgeneral-discussion%2F&title=Paypal%20is%20redirecting%20%22Donations%22%20to%20viglink.com%3F%20-%20TalkFL.org&txt=%3Cspan%3EPayPal%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3E.%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3Ecom%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3E%2F%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3Emts%3C%2Fspan%3E

IE

admin link
http://cityoflakeland.activeboard.com/m2364584/profile/

Hovering over Donation code (indicates DIFFERENT code in IE, so not O/S. It's in the browser.)
http://cityoflakeland.activeboard.com/m2364584/profile/

admin link
http://cityoflakeland.activeboard.com/m2364584/profile/

viglink.com
http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_147844430288925&key=07fb2a1f7863b1992bda53cccc658569&libId=iv6rgcoq01000dx6000DAmr5d8b45&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ft62858138%2Fpaypal-is-redirecting-donations-to-viglinkcom%2F&v=1&type=U&out=http%3A%2F%2Fviglink.com%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ff626011%2Fgeneral-discussion%2F&title=Paypal%20is%20redirecting%20%22Donations%22%20to%20viglink.com%3F%20-%20TalkFL.org&txt=%3Cspan%3Eviglink%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3E.%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3Ecom%3C%2Fspan%3E

admin link
http://cityoflakeland.activeboard.com/m2364584/profile/

PayPal.com/mts
http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_147844433443629&key=07fb2a1f7863b1992bda53cccc658569&libId=iv6rgcoq01000dx6000DAmr5d8b45&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ft62858138%2Fpaypal-is-redirecting-donations-to-viglinkcom%2F&v=1&type=U&out=http%3A%2F%2Fpaypal.com%2Fmts&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ff626011%2Fgeneral-discussion%2F&title=Paypal%20is%20redirecting%20%22Donations%22%20to%20viglink.com%3F%20-%20TalkFL.org&txt=%3Cspan%3EPayPal%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3E.%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3Ecom%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3E%2F%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3Emts%3C%2Fspan%3E

admin link
http://cityoflakeland.activeboard.com/m2364584/profile/

vigilink.com
http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_147844436470231&key=07fb2a1f7863b1992bda53cccc658569&libId=iv6rgcoq01000dx6000DAmr5d8b45&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ft62858138%2Fpaypal-is-redirecting-donations-to-viglinkcom%2F&v=1&type=U&out=http%3A%2F%2Fviglink.com%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fcityoflakeland.activeboard.com%2Ff626011%2Fgeneral-discussion%2F&title=Paypal%20is%20redirecting%20%22Donations%22%20to%20viglink.com%3F%20-%20TalkFL.org&txt=%3Cspan%3Eviglink%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3E.%3C%2Fspan%3E%3Cspan%3Ecom%3C%2Fspan%3E

admin link
http://cityoflakeland.activeboard.com/m2364584/profile/

redirect.viglink.com/?format etc...
http://cityoflakeland.activeboard.com/m2364584/profile/

andrewbb · (Nov 15, 2016)

It looks like a PayPal link, until you click it. These 2 images prove negligence on the part of the internet browser manufacturers: Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Firefox.

Image 1: Hovering over the link shows the target as PayPal.com at the bottom of the page.

Image 2: When the link is "clicked", the link changes from PayPal to VigLink. A "right-click" shows the change. A "left-click" re-directs with no visual feedback.

This is a hack into the browser's code and is against standard programming practices, as recommended by the manufacturers. Any web site programmer (Javascript) can change the link without the computer user's knowledge. Since the browser code allows this value to change, the browser isn't protecting its variables.

All of the manufacturers' browsers allow the hack, but Internet Explorer behaves differently.

NOTE: Any link can be hacked, not just PayPal's.

Displaying 2.png

Displaying 3.png

-- Edited by admin on Tuesday 15th of November 2016 01:23:57 AM

andrewbb · (Nov 16, 2016)

andrewbb · (Aug 14, 2018)

I've aged a lot since then. I suspect poisoning. Doctors can't figure out why my heels have hurt for 2 years, blood counts are low, blood pressure is erratic, and gums have receded creating gaps. This occurred with 100% vitamins and mineral diet (no supplements) and daily exercise. Interestingly, my skin is better.