Safari Being Redirected from YouTube - Malware?

[Tucom]

A few times recently Safari was redirected to an advertising site with one of those pop ups that wouldn't go away (I knew better than to click on the persistent pop up).

Is there anything to worry about? Could it be malware, or just YouTube? I've never had YouTube do this before. I don't have anything installed on this fresh install of Yosemite other than Xcode and other Apple apps from the Mac App Store. So I doubt it's malware.


Thoughts?

Thanks

 

[poiihy]

I don't think the ads on youtoube would be allowed to redirect or anything so that is unlikely. This is weird. I don't know what exactly it could be but I think Adblock may stop it.

 

[Weaselboy]

Try running this adware scanner and see what it turns up.

That does sound like adware.

 

[Tucom]

Try running this adware scanner and see what it turns up.

That does sound like adware.

I installed the trial software from Intego, and it found nothing. I don't trust random adware removal tools, so I didn't try the one you linked.

Thanks though

 

[afsnyder]

Reset safari or clear cache. Some website has something stored somewhere, not too informed on the topic though.

 

[Weaselboy]

I installed the trial software from Intego, and it found nothing. I don't trust random adware removal tools, so I didn't try the one you linked.

Thanks though

http://www.thesafemac.com

The adware removal tool is made by the person that runs this site that has been around quite a while. Myself and many forum members here have used the app with no issues. I do understand your concern though.

 

[Tucom]

http://www.thesafemac.com

The adware removal tool is made by the person that runs this site that has been around quite a while. Myself and many forum members here have used the app with no issues. I do understand your concern though.

Interesting. Do you have any experience with Intego? Do you frequently get malware on your Mac?

Clearing 'History and Website Data' seemed to do the trick; no more redirects. Only happened twice when it was happening, but not since resetting Safari.

Thanks all for the replies!

 

[Weaselboy]

Interesting. Do you have any experience with Intego? Do you frequently get malware on your Mac?

Clearing 'History and Website Data' seemed to do the trick; no more redirects. Only happened twice when it was happening, but not since resetting Safari.

Thanks all for the replies!

I have not personally used the Intego suite, but I have helped users trying to get rid of it because of conflicts it seems to cause.

I had a neighbor I help and Intego did nothing but cause his Mac on Mavericks to lock up until I deleted it for him.

I never get malware. At this point the most common way people get malware is from installing apps that are bundled with adware. CNet's download.com and Softonics.com are famous for this crap.

I have used that adware app on my Mac just to test it out. And I also used it to remove some adware on my neighbor's Mac (same neighbor ) and it did the trick. The app is not really like an AV app that you keep on there and run all the time. You can just run it once to delete the adware and then delete the app. I have suggested it to many users on here and quite a few have replied that it fixed their issue.

 

[Tucom]

I have not personally used the Intego suite, but I have helped users trying to get rid of it because of conflicts it seems to cause.

I had a neighbor I help and Intego did nothing but cause his Mac on Mavericks to lock up until I deleted it for him.

I never get malware. At this point the most common way people get malware is from installing apps that are bundled with adware. CNet's download.com and Softonics.com are famous for this crap.

I have used that adware app on my Mac just to test it out. And I also used it to remove some adware on my neighbor's Mac (same neighbor ) and it did the trick. The app is not really like an AV app that you keep on there and run all the time. You can just run it once to delete the adware and then delete the app. I have suggested it to many users on here and quite a few have replied that it fixed their issue.

I only had Intego installed for less than half an hour, but do you know how great it is in detecting OS X specific threats? I read great things about Intego on Apple's own website Store in response to a question about the ESET Security Suite Apple sells. Was said that ESET didn't detect the threats that Intego did.

No issues with the short time Intego was installed. And yeah, I HATE installers that install stuff behind your back. Just isn't right.

 

[Badagri]

I have not personally used the Intego suite, but I have helped users trying to get rid of it because of conflicts it seems to cause.

I had a neighbor I help and Intego did nothing but cause his Mac on Mavericks to lock up until I deleted it for him.

I never get malware. At this point the most common way people get malware is from installing apps that are bundled with adware. CNet's download.com and Softonics.com are famous for this crap.

I have used that adware app on my Mac just to test it out. And I also used it to remove some adware on my neighbor's Mac (same neighbor ) and it did the trick. The app is not really like an AV app that you keep on there and run all the time. You can just run it once to delete the adware and then delete the app. I have suggested it to many users on here and quite a few have replied that it fixed their issue.

I've been using Intego since X4. It's never gave me performance or lockup issues from Tiger through to Mountain Lion. This was in the PowerPC days and even on Intel I don't run it. It's installed, X6. Has a Firewall but I mainly keep it installed and no real time stuff running (doing manual sans for files over to Windows) because I have Windows computers on the same network.

 

[Weaselboy]

I only had Intego installed for less than half an hour, but do you know how great it is in detecting OS X specific threats? I read great things about Intego on Apple's own website Store in response to a question about the ESET Security Suite Apple sells. Was said that ESET didn't detect the threats that Intego did.

No issues with the short time Intego was installed. And yeah, I HATE installers that install stuff behind your back. Just isn't right.

http://www.thesafemac.com/mac-anti-virus-testing-2014/

The same guy that wrote that adware removal app does pretty good AV testing and Intego's Virus Barrier actually topped the test. It just seems to cause trouble for some users.

 

[Tucom]

I've been using Intego since X4. It's never gave me performance or lockup issues from Tiger through to Mountain Lion. This was in the PowerPC days and even on Intel I don't run it. It's installed, X6. Has a Firewall but I mainly keep it installed and no real time stuff running (doing manual sans for files over to Windows) because I have Windows computers on the same network.

Good to know! Now you say "even on Intel I don't run it." Typo? You DO run it? How has it been in detecting OS X specific threats?

 

[simonsi]

Try running this adware scanner and see what it turns up.

That does sound like adware.

Another vote for this, it is trustworthy and safe but get it from this site.....

 

[Tucom]

Another vote for this, it is trustworthy and safe but get it from this site.....

If you read through the thread, you would know I tried the trial from Intego, and it found nothing. Good to know that this tool is getting good votes, however.

 

[simonsi]

If you read through the thread, you would know I tried the trial from Intego, and it found nothing. Good to know that this tool is getting good votes, however.

Worth trying another scanner then, they don't all ref the same data or scan in the same way. BTW I did read the thread, hence bothering to add an additional vote for a different tool you had expressed concern about.

 

[Tucom]

Worth trying another scanner then, they don't all ref the same data or scan in the same way.

Yeah, well given that Intego ranked top in AV's for Mac, and found nothing, and the redirecting has happened since resetting Safari, I think I'm running a clean Mac.

 

[Badagri]

Good to know! Now you say "even on Intel I don't run it." Typo? You DO run it? How has it been in detecting OS X specific threats?

I mean real scanning as if you were running a live virus scanner on Windows. Always active to catch anything.

I've not had any infections as it's been set for weekly scans/daily updates. As my browsers are pretty stealth with adblock, javascript blocker/blacklist and donottrack extensions. No Flash either as I have any video required for click to play for HTML5. Nor any sneaky ads. As I've never had any weird behaviour going on with OS X all these years. Plugins are disabled as well.

Plus I also clean out my cookies weekly and it's cache. Most times I never get more than 100 cookies because of all this.

 

[Tucom]

I mean real scanning as if you were running a live virus scanner on Windows. Always active to catch anything.

I've not had any infections as it's been set for weekly scans/daily updates. As my browsers are pretty stealth with adblock, javascript blocker/blacklist and donottrack extensions. No Flash either as I have any video required for click to play for HTML5. Nor any sneaky ads. As I've never had any weird behaviour going on with OS X all these years. Plugins are disabled as well.

Plus I also clean out my cookies weekly and it's cache. Most times I never get more than 100 cookies because of all this.

Ah, so you just don't run deliberate scans, but it's "always active to catch anything."?

 

[Badagri]

No, Windows is set to catch anything there and then. On OS X it's scheduled only to scan the system once a week and deal with it there and then. It has found stuff when I hooked up the Windows storage drives with USB kits from time to time over the years.

As I always like to double check files before bringing it over to Windows.