Possible FP by Malwarebytes Chrome Extension

[hake]

I opened https://www.independent.co.uk and was warned no to enter it.  This is the website of a very respected nationally distributed British newspaper. Unfortunately the extension yielded little actual information about whatever had been found objectionable. All that I can ask is that you have a look for yourselves.

I have attached a screenshot.

The extension put the following text in the address bar: -

chrome-extension://ihcjicgdanjaechkgeegckofjjedodee/redirects/blockedMalware.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.independent.co.uk%2F&host=www.independent.co.uk&type=malware&subtype=scam

Malwarebytes Firefox Extension does not replicate the issue.

NoScript reports the following domains which could have been active in the www.independent.co.uk website front page at the time that Malwarebytes Chrome Extension issued its warning: -
independent.co.uk
sail-horizon.com
pagefair.com
pagefair.net
taboola.com
gigya.com
jquery.com
facebook.net
d3alqb8vzo7fun.cloudfront.net
gscontxt.net
omnitagis.com
indexww.com
exelator.com
sharethrough.com
cpx.to
twitter.com
brightcove.com
scoreresearch.com
mdotlabs.com
chartbeat.com
crwdcntrl.net
google-analytics.com
googletagservices.com
moatads.com

 

Edited June 5, 2018 by hake

[dcollins]

Did you click on any specific links to make this happen? I cannot reproduce the issue

[hake]

No. The only thing I clicked on was the cookie notice to accept cookies. Whatever was tripping the Extension would have been on the page I entered the site on. It happened on two Windows 7 (x64) systems. Google Chrome is at version 67.0.3396.62 (32-bit) on both systems. Once I had received the Extension's warning I opted to continue and have received no further warnings with either system. No unwanted behaviour resulted.

[hake]

@dcollins
I am very pleased that you could not replicate the behaviour that I experienced.  I guess that Malwarebytes Chrome Extension is performing very well since I read no unhappy comments about it and this is good.  I would like to see more information presented in the event of a warning by the extension as there was little that I could supply to you guys after the 'incident'.

BTW, I wish that your website would display darker more contrasty text.  My eyes are getting old and your website is becoming hard work to read.  I have adjusted my display screen as much as it allows.  Small grey/pale-blue text on a completely bright white background is conducive to snow-blindness.  Compare it with the https://www.superantispyware.com/ site and you will see what I mean.  That is a model of visual clarity.

Edited June 7, 2018 by hake

[hake]

There have been no repetitions of the previously reported FP.