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I keep getting popup ads that freeze the browser in Safari. Only way out is to hit OK - which takes you to the ad website. How do I make Safari safe from hijacking?

Malicious pop up ads

MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.7.3), recording issue; editing problem

Posted on Oct 2, 2015 2:03 PM

Reply
3 replies

Oct 2, 2015 2:05 PM in response to grandbuddy

iDevice Safari Phishing Adware Pop-ups


Your device does not have a virus. You can fix this as follows:


Kill Safari by double-tapping on the Home button. Locate Safari in the task bar, then slide the Safari mini-page upwards so it vanishes.


Tap Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. Next, locate Security section and slide the “Block Pop-Ups” switch to the On position.


Press the Home button to return to your Home screen.


If this doesn’t help, then reset your device. It won't delete your data. Press and hold down the On/Off button and the Home button until the display turns off and returns with the Apple logo showing.


Alternatively, follow these instructions to reset your device: Restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support.

Remove Browser Pop-up Problems


Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.0.1.7

Adblock Plus 1.8.9, GlimmerBlocker, or AdBlock

Remove adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac

How to remove the FlashMall adware from OS X

Helpful Links Regarding Malware Problems


If you are having an immediate problem with ads popping up see The Safe Mac » Adware Removal Guide, remove adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac, and MalwareBytes for Mac. If you require anti-virus protection Thomas Reed recommends using ClamXAV. (Thank you to Thomas Reed for this recommendation.) You might consider adding this Safari extensions: Adblock Plus 1.8.9.


Open Safari, select Preferences from the Safari menu. Click on Extensions icon in the toolbar. Disable all Extensions. If this stops your problem, then re-enable them one by one until the problem returns. Now remove that extension as it is causing the problem.


The following comes from user stevejobsfan0123. I have made minor changes to adapt to this presentation.


Fix Some Browser Pop-ups That Take Over Safari.


Common pop-ups include a message saying the government has seized your computer and you must pay to have it released (often called "Moneypak"), or a phony message saying that your computer has been infected, and you need to call a tech support number (sometimes claiming to be Apple) to get it resolved. First, understand that these pop-ups are not caused by a virus and your computer has not been affected. This "hijack" is limited to your web browser. Also understand that these messages are scams, so do not pay any money, call the listed number, or provide any personal information. This article will outline the solution to dismiss the pop-up.


Quit Safari


Usually, these pop-ups will not go away by either clicking "OK" or "Cancel." Furthermore, several menus in the menu bar may become disabled and show in gray, including the option to quit Safari. You will likely have to force quit Safari. To do this, press Command + option + esc, select Safari, and press Force Quit.


Relaunch Safari


If you relaunch Safari, the page will reopen. To prevent this from happening, hold down the 'Shift' key while opening Safari. This will prevent windows from the last time Safari was running from reopening.


This will not work in all cases. The shift key must be held at the right time, and in some cases, even if done correctly, the window reappears. In these circumstances, after force quitting Safari, turn off Wi-Fi or disconnect Ethernet, depending on how you connect to the Internet. Then relaunch Safari normally. It will try to reload the malicious webpage, but without a connection, it won't be able to. Navigate away from that page by entering a different URL, i.e. www.apple.com, and trying to load it. Now you can reconnect to the Internet, and the page you entered will appear rather than the malicious one.

Jan 2, 2016 11:58 AM in response to John Galt

Thank you John Galt for responses and links. I am getting hijacked by these popups increasingly to the point where I am giving up on browsing. In my experience the sites where the popups occur are almost all mainstream media sites, including National Geographic, New York Times, New Yorker, the Atlantic, Wired, the Guardian, etc.. Questions:


1. How do these popups infect these mainstream media sites? They seem to lurk in the links on the sites - click on an article from homepage, or a "next page", and get the malware popup. Is there a reason why they can infect these large websites, yet nevertheless not infect my computer?


2. Can I really be confident these are the result of something infecting those websites, and not my computer? I've never proceeded to a download, always either closing the browser tab they open or closing Safari, but still I am concerned they surreptitiously install. After all, they override the "block popups" settings in Safari, etc., and they are all over mainstream large websites with presumably far more tech savvy than me. I am running OSX 10.9.5 on a MBP and 9.1 on iPad.


Any thoughts appreciated.



I keep getting popup ads that freeze the browser in Safari. Only way out is to hit OK - which takes you to the ad website. How do I make Safari safe from hijacking?

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