safeframe.googlesyndication.com downloads?

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Level 4

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safeframe.googlesyndication.com downloads?

I've been getting popups asking me if I want to allow downloads from (a long alphanumeric string).safeframes.googlesyndication.com lately. This has occurred when I've been visiting a variety of sites - Fark.com, most recently. I've always canceled the attempted download, but I wonder if anyone knows anything about this? The information I found from a web search was, as usual, pretty contradictory with some sites calling it malicious and others saying it is most definitely not malicious.

I'm using Safari 14.0 (for the most part, it won't work with ooma) on macOS 10.15.6

srb

Mac mini, macOS 10.15

Posted on Sep 24, 2020 9:31 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

MrHoffman

Community+ 2024

Level 10

127,453 points

Sep 24, 2020 9:42 AM in response to Steven Blunk

Google is a ginormous marketing and tracking entity, and this is part of that empire.

It’s Google-related web advertising support, and can be ignored.

Advertising and user-tracking is controversial, depending on who you ask.

Ad networks have been sources of malware.

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Answer 2

Sep 24, 2020 9:33 AM in response to Steven Blunk

Hi, welcome to the Apple Users Community.

Please try this link for help with your issue

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/protect-your-mac-from-malware-mh40596/mac

Malwarebytes is highly recommended

Best of luck

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Answer 3

Sep 24, 2020 11:26 AM in response to Steven Blunk

Some related reading: https://9to5mac.com/2020/09/23/allow-downloads/

Looks like it's malware. In an ad network. Nobody ever expected malware in an ad network.

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Answer 4

Steven Blunk Author

Level 4

2,928 points

Sep 24, 2020 9:37 AM in response to Pete-Progressive-Graphics

Pete-Progressive-Graphics,

Thanks for the reply, and I think I'm already pretty well protected from malware and will not have Malwarebytes on my machine. I will occasionally download it and run it if I've made sure I know how to uninstall it completely afterward.

Is your reply saying that you know this attempted download to be malware, though?

Thanks

srb

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Answer 5

Sep 24, 2020 9:47 AM in response to Steven Blunk

You mention that you are pretty well protected from malware but it sounds like something is afoot.

Think of it like a quarantine area within the page you are visiting, related to Google ads on websites. Rather than inserting the ads into the code of the website, banner ads appear within a SafeFrame within the page.

Best of luck

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Answer 6

Steven Blunk Author

Level 4

2,928 points

Sep 24, 2020 11:35 AM in response to MrHoffman

MrHoffman -

Thanks for the link, but I think I'll keep my default for downloads at "Ask", despite the aggravation. Otherwise, I'm going to have to open Safari's Preferences and allow downloads every time I want a crossword puzzle, then remember to turn them back off ...

I know I'm leaving a window of opportunity by allowing some sites to download, but there you go.

srb

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