Suspicious Popups That Malwarebytes

[Mark905]

I continually get these two popup screens. One is for an Adobe Flash Update and the other states that "Your Mac Is Infected With 3 Viruses." I did a google search and it appears that both are Malware.

Is Malwarebytes supposed to quarantine these?

What can I do to prevent by MacBook Pro from Being infected by these Malwares? 

Can I add their URLs to the quarantine list to prevent future popups?

Thank you.

[David H. Lipman]

They are both malvertisements.  The first is for a software update that purports to be Adobe Flash but it is not.  It will install Adware or some Potentially unwanted software or actual malware.  The second is an Apple FakeAlert for some product.  They have nothing to do with any software on your PC.  

Examples:
FakeAlert-Screens.pdf  /  Flash Version

Here are videos demonstrating Apple FakeAlerts used to goad Apple device users to download Advanced MAC Cleaner and MyMobileSecure VPN solution.

Apple FakeAlert leads to Advanced MAC Cleaner Rogue AV software

Apple FakeAlert leads to MyMobileSecure VPN solution

 

You can't quarantine web sites.  You need to look at your Browsing habits and what sites you visited when you got these malvertisements and try to avoid them if possible.

Edited September 2, 2019 by David H. Lipman
Edited for content, clarity, spelling and grammar

[Mark905]

Thank you.  Very Helpful.

[David H. Lipman]

[exile360]

It may also help to install some kind of ad blocker or other malicious site filter for your web browser(s).  In fact, if you use Google Chrome (or any other Chromium based browser such as SRWare Iron or Vivaldi) you can install the Malwarebytes Browser Guard; a free solution for blocking malicious sites, ads, trackers (for privacy) and a lot of other undesirable/malicious content on the web.

You can learn more and download the extension on the Google Web Store here.  They also have a version for Mozilla Firefox, however it is not available at the moment as it is being worked on by the Developers but should be available again soon.

There are of course other options such as uBlock Origin (available here) or Adblock Plus which is available here for Safari.

I hope this helps, and if there is anything else we might assist you with please let us know.

Thanks

[Massimiliano]

Personally, for Safari, I would recommend Ka-Block! available for free on the Mac AppStore because it has no privilege whatsoever. It works well and so far it has not given me any problems

[Mark905]

Much thanks!

[iggy22]

I'm also getting this "Your Mac got infected" popup, but to my horror it's happening when I click on standard elements on the ebay-Pages…

Malwarebytes doesn't recognise anything – I switched on Realtime protection in (trial) Premium mode.

Any advice? :-(

[Mark905]

Does Real-time Work?

[iggy22]

Yes, it's turned on.

[David H. Lipman]

@iggy22  If you are getting malvertisements in your Browser such as the FakeAlert shown in Post #1 then you need to look at what web sites your are visiting when this happens and your browsing habits.  If it is happening on eBay then try to avoid these "standard elements" as there are way too many unscrupulous resellers on eBay as well as Fake eBay sites.

[Mark905]

I hear ya.  I just thought that Malwarebytes would intercept. Thanks again.  

[iggy22]

2 hours ago, David H. Lipman said:

@iggy22  If you are getting malvertisements in your Browser such as the FakeAlert shown in Post #1 then you need to look at what web sites your are visiting when this happens and your browsing habits.  If it is happening on eBay then try to avoid these "standard elements" as there are way too many unscrupulous resellers on eBay as well as Fake eBay sites.

Well, those "standard elements" are located on the main "my-ebay" page, not on some seller sites, that's why i strongly assume that my machine itself is compromised in some way… (using Safari on recent OS)

[David H. Lipman]

These are classed as malicious advertisements or malvertisements.

As such it is not about what software is on your PC but about what web sites you visit and one's browsing habits.  For example there are certain porn sites that have a greater propensity to exhibit a FakeAlert.  If you are on Windows, a Microsoft FakeAlert.  If you are on an Apple iPhone or MAC, you will see an Apple FakeAlert.  Then there are sites that don't care who they do business with when it comes to advertisement revenue.  Or when one marketing company outsources to another.  Then the malvertisement may be rotated in or randomly displayed.  As I have explained in other discussions I have seen fake Mozilla Firefox malvertisements emanating from the Weather Channel web site.

There was a case where members visited AllMusic.com and on rare occasions they got a Microsoft FakeAlert.  The reports were few and reproducing it was difficult but finally I was able to coax a Microsoft FakeAlert from a visitation. It was all discussed in This Thread.  Reference: Post #20

 

[Mark905]

Thank you. 

[iggy22]

Again, we're not talking about surfing some obscure porn or second rate marketing site, but clicking something like "leave comment" on the core ebay platform…

[alvarnell]

There have been a couple of other complaints about eBay over the past week, so I'm sure it has something to do with either their site being compromised or a new stream of advertisements they are using.

Get yourself a good ad blocking extension to stop it.

[iggy22]

Of course I'm more than happy to hear that this might be the case… 🙂