Spam pop-ups from AK?

[cpt_paranoia]

I am getting spam pop-ups intercepting AK, every so often. The AK forum page is replaced by adverts for a genuine company. If I hit 'back' on these, it goes to a (almost certainly spurious) virus alert page. I never click on pop-ups warning of virus infection, because they are almost always virus injection vectors...

I have to close the tab, and use a shortcut to get back to the AK page.

This does not happen with any other sites I visit.

Anyone else seeing this problem?

 

[Wildcat]

I sometimes get these phony "virus alert" ads on my phone, but not here on AK, on a computer. (I only rarely visit AK on a phone or tablet. I'm a touch typist, so I can't deal with the frustrations of punching messages into a phone/tablet "keyboard" if I can help it.)

The latest Chrome (version 64) added some protection against these types of pop-ups in the last update. There are many articles on Google, but this one seems to sum it up fairly well:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/google...ing-you-tougher-pop-up-blocker-spectre-fixes/

In a nutshell:

As Google promised last year, Chrome 64 introduces a stronger pop-up block to protect against sneaky tactics that lead users to unwanted content through redirects.

The 'abusive experiences' that the blocker targets are practices often used by shadier sections of the web, including ads or parts of a page that create bogus site warnings and error messages, 'close' buttons that that do something other than close a page element, and play buttons that open third-party sites offering to download an app.

Google is also offering feedback to site owners through the Abusive Experiences Report in Google Search Console. The report indicates if their site has displayed any of the abusive behavior and offers advice to improve the experience for users.

Site owners will soon need to contend with the Ad Experience Report too, which is part of the new ad-blocking system Google is bringing to Chrome. Google revealed in December that, from February 15, Chrome will remove ads that don't comply with standards overseen by the Coalition for Better Ads.

"Starting on February 15, in line with the Coalition's guidelines, Chrome will remove all ads from sites that have a 'failing' status in the Ad Experience Report for more than 30 days," Google said.

The stable Chrome 65 release is scheduled for March 6, so Google will be activating the ad-blocking system in Chrome 64. The Coalition for Better Ads this month kicked off the Better Ads Experience Program, which certifies that publishers agree to its standards.

Sites that violate the standards are included in the Ad Experience Report, where site owners can submit their site for a reassessment after fixing the offending ads.​

It's important to note that site owners have to keep an eye on their Google Search Console, as it will indicate if there are abusive ads coming through the ad networks on a site. That is where these types of "anti-virus" pop-ups come from. This site is not infected, nor are our computers/phones/tablets, but the ad networks are pushing some of these rogue ads through to visitors.

@olson_jr It is common for some cable providers to pop a message onto the computer to advise of service issues. I've had a WOW screen load up in a browser maybe once every year or two. I just dismiss it and go on my way. It is bothersome, though, as it feels like they are intruding on my network somehow. (I do not use their DNS servers.)

 

[EngineerNate]

I can confirm this issue on Android. I'll get one every so often that tries to get me to install some mobile version of flash player. Not today Satan!

 

[cpt_paranoia]

I can confirm this issue on Android

Yes, I should have said; only see it on Android, running Chrome.

May have a look at the pop-up settings...

 

[Wildcat]

Chrome 64 has new settings that mitigate some of that, as I explained above. The standard pop-up blocking in all browsers today only handles the old style of pop-ups where the browser would open a new window using JavaScript.

However, there are many ways to do pop-ups now (using overlays, IFRAMEs, etc.), and the browsers (Chrome included) cannot combat all of them without seriously crippling the browser. That is why site owners need to keep an eye on their Google search console, as users can now report these types of rogue ads (including the especially harmful "malware warning" pop-ups that use an IFRAME to overlay on top of your current browsing session and attempt to force you to click it) and site owners are expected to deal with the reports. The recently added pop-up mitigation in Chrome 64 handles a few more pop-up methods including those IFRAME hijackings, but keep in mind that these bottom-feeder advertisers will simply find ways around them to deceive us.

Just rest assured that most of this is not malware on a phone or tablet (or even a computer)--it's the dishonest advertisers who have to resort to these methods to "sell" whatever it is they're trying to pawn off on us.