Q: iphone 5, redirects from safari links to app store

boltedenergy wrote:

 

hello apple, why so silent on this issue?

No one from Apple responds here. This is a user-to-user forum.

Seems like Google are doing something about this:

http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/29/google-updates-play-developer-policy-to-clean -up-deceptive-apps/

Don't get left behind here Apple.

This AppStore redirect thing is getting worse, first it was a few dodgy sites redirecting you to some rubbish app in the AppStore when landing on their page or clicking on some link. But this seems to be becoming ever more common and showing up more reputable sites, today I opened the online site of a newspaper and found myself being sent off to the AppStore.

Apple needs to put an end to this or a least give us a setting to be able to prevent it because it unbelievably irritating!  

If you are seeing this kind of behavior on legit sites, you may have a problem with your network that is causing things to be inappropriately redirected. See:

How to manage a hacked wireless router

I can say that I browse the web from my iPad all the time - often loading pages that I know for a fact are malicious, for research purposes - and have almost never seen this behavior. So if you're seeing it commonly, and on mainstream sites, either I would shudder to see the sites you'd consider mainstream or there's something else going on.

(Fair disclosure: The Safe Mac is my site, and contains a Donate button, so I may receive compensation for providing links to The Safe Mac. Donations are not required.)

Nope, it will redirect even while using cellular data. Apparently the problem is with hacked ads being hosted on some sites. This 'attack' can come from mainstream, legit sites. I haven't personally seen this issue for a few weeks, so here's to hoping that most of this problem has been taken care of (or will be soon).

I think you're missing the point Thomas. Apple and FB....

http://digiday.com/publishers/shady-mobile-app-install-ads/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/98131 20/Riccardo-Zacconi-king.com-looking-for-growth-rather-than-flotation.html

Yup, hacked ads can also be a problem. Usually that's a short-term problem, if it's happening on mainstream sites, as those sites will generally act quickly to avoid angering their visitors. If it's a more long-term problem with particular sites, those sites probably ought to be avoided, as that's probably not the only unethical trick they're playing with ads. There are a lot of advertising scams going around these days, increasingly targeting Mac and iOS users.

Thomas_r : Frankly your replies are completely useless in aiming to resolve the issue as reported in this thread and indeed your so called evidence to the contrary are completely based on one person's experience -your own!!

This has been an ongoing issue for me using my iphone and ipad both updated to ios 7.1

I am really dissapoined with apple and this forum for not providing a customer focused adequate response.

I can however advise I have found my own solution to this issue (not sure if available in all Apple regional itunes stores).

Download weblock https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/weblock-adblock-for-ios/id558818638?mt=8

and enable the protection and believe it or not... the issue is completely gone! (although only works on WIFI connections )

so much for waiting for apple to fix it... oh well thats big corporations for you!

Download weblock

Interesting... that is not supposed to be possible, as far as I know. Apps are not supposed to influence other apps, and apps are not supposed to be able to interfere with the network settings. I'm unclear on exactly how this app does what it does, and whether it represents a security flaw in iOS that Apple will soon close. However, if it works, and doesn't get pulled from the store, that would be a good solution to the problem.

One note: it looks like it only works with Safari, so users of alternate browsers will not be able to use it.

I too don't see this happening on my iPad - which is an older model nor did I see on my old iphone. It's only since I upgraded to an iphone 5 that this has been going on and I've fiddled with the settings till the cows come home, to no avail.

"Malicious" sites are the worst for redirecting to rubbish on the AppStore, it's defiantly something written into the page itself. Happens on mobile and wifi. Along the lines of... Off to the AppStore with you and download our trashy app!!! Pain in the butt and soiling my enjoyment of malicious sites.

now ur getting it....My local Apple store saw for themselves after insisting it was impossible....

YALEDOC wrote:

 

now ur getting it....My local Apple store saw for themselves after insisting it was impossible....

Are you talking about Weblock (which is what I was talking about), or redirects to the App Store? Sounds like you're talking about the latter, in which case you should note that I never have said that's impossible...

Since upgrading to 7.1.1 I've been redirected to the App Store and ad sites from links within the daily newspapers along with many other reputable sites. It must be an Apple issue.

I don't have an Iphone 5, but my Ipad started with the redirect to the App store last night. Not only is it redirecting to the App store, it is contantly redirecting and open browser tabs in Safari and Chrome. Sometimes it sends me to the app store, sometimes it sends me to **** sites. It's happening from Facebook links, it happens on the Disney web site (so I don't want to hear the crap about disreputable web sites). I have an ATV website that I have been visiting for YEARS, and every time I click on something on the website it redirects me.

Here's the kicker: My Iphone 4S is doing it too. I also have an old 3G that I keep to use as an Ipod. I turned it on since it still accesses the wifi, and it's doing this too. There seems to be only two possibilites here. Either my wifi has been hacked or it's an Apple issue (if you don't want to call it a virus, bug, whatever.) It is absolutely maddening. In one evening I went from zero issues with Apple products over the years to a veritable nightmare. Whatever this is, it is pervasive and it is malicious. If my router has been hacked, then apparently 1000's of other Apple users must have had their routers hacked as well. My computer does not have any issues whatsoever...perhaps because it's not an Apple product. Whatever it is, it needs to be fixed. No turning off of Javascript, etc. There must be a solution for this. I find it hard to believe that there isn't a virus or bug invloved.

Thomas, your opinions or expertise or whatever are not helpful. Until you have experienced this (and I do so hope you experience it), you have no clue what is going on. I have seen multiple threads from people experiencing exactly what I am experiencing, and over and over I see people like you saying that it's not possible for Apple devices to get a virus.

If my router has been hacked, then apparently 1000's of other Apple users must have had their routers hacked as well.

Thousands is a significant underestimation. I can't even count the number of people I've seen who have had wireless routers hacked.

http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/03/hackers-hijack-300000-plus-wireless-rout ers-make-malicious-changes/

This is only one example, the work of one particular hacker group. Note the phrase "yet another mass compromise" used in the first sentence of the article.

If you're being redirected to the App Store for non-Disney apps when on the Disney site, then this is the only reasonable explanation.

My computer does not have any issues whatsoever...

That's because your computer does not have an iOS App Store, thus there is nothing with which to open the links.

I have seen multiple threads from people experiencing exactly what I am experiencing, and over and over I see people like you saying that it's not possible for Apple devices to get a virus.

If you don't believe me, talk to any security expert out there who knows anything about Apple devices! The only iOS malware in existence, as far as anyone knows, only affects jailbroken devices. Malware is not the issue. Unless your device is jailbroken, in which case you have only yourself to blame.