[Guto]

For the past couple days, occasionally when I open a page on SOTW it gets re-directed to another page saying my computer has a virus, and it gives me a button to clean it.
I tried assessing SOTW on another computer and got the same issue. I suspect some malware has installed on the SOTW servers. Can administrators check please?
Anyone else experiencing this?

 

[Pete Thomas]

I've moved this from the saxophone forum - please note there is more chance of fixing stuff like this if posted in the appropriate subforum. The VS admins psrobably don't watch the saxophone disciussion but we hope they watch this forum!

 

[pontius]

Has not happened to me. I am using firefox on a Linux Mint OS.

edit: also using ad-block plus BTW

 

[AddictedToSax]

I'm using MS Edge and Bing browser and haven't had a problem yet. I also use Webroot and it hasn't reported any issues.

 

[lydian]

I get the same pop-ups in Safari on iPhone every few minutes. Let me know if you need details like the websites I get redirected to.

 

[1saxman]

I've got that from time to time but not from here yet. All I do is instantly cut power to the whole system, modem and all. After everything re-boots, its gone. I have everything plugged into one Belkin power strip with a red 'kill' button situated at the back of my desk in easy reach - I think my average kill time from one of those phony ads is about 2 seconds.

 

[lesacks]

Hard to know, but his can be a DNS hijack rather than the sotw site.

Consider using, for example, the Google dns servers. Might help.

https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using

Or openDNS

https://www.opendns.com/setupguide/#familyshield

 

[Guto]

Using Safari here too. Had this happen on 2 different Macs.

I get the same pop-ups in Safari on iPhone every few minutes. Let me know if you need details like the websites I get redirected to.

 

[Guto]

Hard to know, but his can be a DNS hijack rather than the sotw site.

Consider using, for example, the Google dns servers. Might help.

https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using

A Google DNS ? No, thanks.

 

[lesacks]

A Google DNS ? No, thanks.

You use Mac's and Safari...

 

[fudidudi]

This sounds like the annoying hijack redirect that happens regularly for me on most platforms. It masquerades as a virus alert (“Hello, <service provider goes here> user”) in order for you to install or disclose something. My bet is that there is nothing wrong with the forum site itself. No idea where this sort of thing comes from though. Ads?

 

[kfoster]

I also am having this problem using Safari on a MacBook.

 

[Dave Dolson]

I experienced this several times last week on SOTW. I just closed it and did not do anything abou it. With others reporting the same thing, I suspect it isn't something in MY computer, but associated with SOTW. DAVE

edit: MacBook Pro/Safari

 

[lydian]

I'll add that I keep about 10 tabs open on Safari and currently only experience the issue with SOTW. I have had similar issue with another site in the past. When I reported the issue to that site, they made some changes, and the problem went away. I don't have details, but I think it was related to a certain advertiser.

I'm not convinced about the DNS redirect theory because it happens pretty much at random when I'm not loading, reloading or doing any navigation at all. Would a DNS lookup only occur when a page first loads (or some component on that page)? Plus, I already use Google DNS servers, and the problem still occurs.

 

[milandro]

I have avast running and it doesn’t signal any “ virus” infection, mind you I have also opted out from “ targeted ads” ( which is an option you get if you open this page under anonymous surfing).

If you have ever accepted you may have accepted the wrong thing (click twice to expand, this is only a screen shot!)/
.

I use safari and I am on a Imac by the way avast definitions of a visrus have been adjourned right now and nothing has triggered anything.

 

[lesacks]

I'm not convinced about the DNS redirect theory because it happens pretty much at random when I'm not loading, reloading or doing any navigation at all. Would a DNS lookup only occur when a page first loads (or some component on that page)? Plus, I already use Google DNS servers, and the problem still occurs.

Fair enough.
Looks like that thought won't help.

It does seem that the vulnerability is in Safari

 

[wanderso]

AdBlock is a highly-rated free Safari extension in the Apple Safari Extension "store." (Click second item down under Safari in menu bar, "Safari Extensions.")

Really simple to set up and works very well for me. It may or may not block redirects--I do not see them.

Occasionally a news site may not load without "Disable Ad Blocker." In this case, it is simple to pause AdBlock, or set it to permit ads on only that site.

I forgot to unpause AdBlock and visited CNN--what a ton of crap! I cannot imagine how anyone uses the web without an ad blocker.

 

[milandro]

I don’t even think that a real virus alert is the matter, jus a fake advert, very common

 

[Dave Dolson]

It happened to me again this AM when looking at the SUGGESTIONS thread. Above is what I copied out of the top bar that contains the address of whatever is on the screen (I don't know the name of that bar).

When my pages re-directed to this virus-warning screen, I couldn't close it or do anything. So I quit SOTW and Safari, then re-opened Safari and SOTW. That got me out of it. This does not happen on any other site or system in my MacBook. Annoying, to say the least. DAVE

edit: There were more letters and computer gobbldeegook than is shown in my post when I copied that bar.

edit 2: I took out the link as suggested by Pete..

 

[Pete Thomas]

edit: There were more letters and computer gobbldeegook than is shown in my post when I copied that bar.

No kidding:

Using the code tags to show the whole link without it being an actual link:

http://your-mac-security-analysis.net.omhlffye.kf84sxkdnxe9ayj8iufnfpulaekryviestcxg.xyz/fx/en/index.php?browser=Safari&fred=1&app=Mac%20Speedup%20Pro&hul=rs.eujmj3g.space&cep=bGlMislxg2DjJk0QiXHjHPLn1gqMjHZm-2Uipr5eM1u_3HtkYexDa4Dm9Ut-FDDoicDgARVJPNKSr1wpGDWe5mUmVBm1lPW6aor7lxSdxJOwu853EEiONuXN89KW2jBPE8hfPoBjsUYBMBQdHwk3UduJOdEMsmCPBmi1PdTbfUIm2XSsStNFv8gIKKIdv6a5btKt2l0MQh5eb8QY0R909KJ7ftKQGEPlEQrn-W2_crgbXynQWUsqRKbNf2K8KhhMZAy3M9o6iE4hK_F-WpgVt7Pwb30fLLibdoiCh-CRmZDNfycB4ISuHK012l2ceiklYjNjp4q6wFRvQ_hn27MlWI6TSi9ZDKNExXPMXHpvrSkZcFNxhT_nZ_hbGXnZZqLvs3UhFcZwED13KUBd392f5NVyy3XUDgqUnUljS4Hou4i0MMZNxOnsEjtp28MuzVyY4oZrGFml5gJpppMMjjY6qfOre5lidULa6mwcE_sYIzKHV9rJ2RYqCr_NA6rH4K6DOBO6QYbEHeRW_PSKWNQC-4gEmHrEL5YAUPVMmruRnEFLmfZCxB-Nq1T7SOooc4lhLVUo1-5mtfAJ-F3qEcd2gg&_=BAYAXZtZuQFdm1m5gAGBAcAAIAk1RE4SGumvAVZytoWNRVVTIjcXYobYgWOboT8x5nM1wQAgxfknESrI91TYxVwz2Yy5PL6-W4L3OQyONRvszeK-BoM#b

EDIT: That is the full link, just for demosntration purposes, not intended to be an instruction for people to go there!