Over the past few weeks, Thunderbird has hiccupped spasmodically on my machine. I didn't worry too much, until it did it several times in one day.
The error message was always the same:
102.112.2o7.net has sent an incorrect or unexpected message. Error code: -12263
Google didn't recognise the error code. Some more research indicated that 2o7.net iappears to be a proprietary security outfit in Utah, specialising in anti-fraud "solutions". So I decided to go to their website to see what's up.
At that point, WOT came up with a warning that the site has a poor/very poor reputation and advised me not to go to it. Further research showed that a whole range of 2o7.net links are proscribed in the hosts file I downloaded from a security site. Clearly some folks who I trust about Internet security have reservations about 2o7.net.
Next question: so why is Thunderbird trying to connect to 2o7.net anyway?
The answer was soon revealed, in the HTML of a PayPal e-mail confirming I'd paid someone:
So, I ask myself, why is PayPal sending me to a dodgy "security" site when it confirms I've paid? I asked PayPal via their online enquiries panel. The first answer, from their technical support, was evasive and asked me to contact customer services. I have now sent the same query to customer services (I wonder why technical services couldn't forward it).
Does anyone know more about 2o7.net and what it actually does? Is there a reason why the "advisers" put it into their recommended hosts file, and why WOT doesn't like it?