Can't get rid of adware on M1 Mac :(

[BikGer2]

Hi there,

Today I've had weird ads from suspicious websites come up in my notification centre. M1 MBA here, latest 13.0.1 MacOS Ventura release installed. I get notifications from the following websites:

I haven't clicked on the notifications, but have a little earlier today visited the URLs the ads were coming from, just to see what they are. That was probably a bad idea. Either way, I found out they're just useless fraud websites, both stating to be word comparing sites or something.

What's even stranger, I disable notifications from these pages both in settings and Safari settings, but they miraculously turn back on and I get new notifications. Never experienced this on a Mac before...

Any help is appreciated!

 

[chabig]

You might want to "reset" Safari by deleting all cookies. Preferences > Privacy.

 

[BikGer2]

Ok, so I just removed all website data, hopefully it's gone.
Thanks for the suggestion!

Will leave my Mac sleeping, just to see if it happens again.

 

[Fishrrman]

MalwareBytes.

Free download.
I believe it runs "in trial mode" for 30 days.
AFTER 30 days, you can either pay for a subscription
OR
"Convert" it to "free mode". It will then run "in free mode" forever.

The difference between "paid" and "free" modes is:
- In paid mode, it runs all the time in the background
- In free mode, it runs only when you launch it.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

MalwareBytes.

Free download.
I believe it runs "in trial mode" for 30 days.
AFTER 30 days, you can either pay for a subscription
OR
"Convert" it to "free mode". It will then run "in free mode" forever.

The difference between "paid" and "free" modes is:
- In paid mode, it runs all the time in the background
- In free mode, it runs only when you launch it.

MalwareBytes misses a lot actually. Depending on how bad the system is I just blow away the whole OS and restart fresh.

 

[BikGer2]

MalwareBytes.

I ran Malwarebytes today, didn't find anything.

MalwareBytes misses a lot actually. Depending on how bad the system is I just blow away the whole OS and restart fresh.

Woah, can it really get that bad?

By the way, the issue seems to be gone. No more free tickets to malware in my notification centre

 

[harvester32]

Clearing the website data will get rid of those.You can also selectively clear the data if you know the offending site where you picked up the malware. Just search for that site in the search window and "REMOVE" that site's data, rather than "REMOVE ALL".

 

[BikGer2]

Clearing the website data will get rid of those.You can also selectively clear the data if you know the offending site where you picked up the malware. Just search for that site in the search window and "REMOVE" that site's data, rather than "REMOVE ALL".

Yeah, but I realized I want to get rid of all the junk from websites I don't need anymore, so deleting everything wasn't a bad option.
Thanks for the help, I appreciate it!

 

[KaliYoni]

deleting everything wasn't a bad option.

Now that you have a fresh start, you might want to think about either installing some blockers to Safari, including an ad blocker and a javascript blocker, or using two browsers.

This is my setup: I use Firefox with privacy and security add-ons for general browsing. I use Safari in its default configuration for a very small number of trusted websites I visit regularly. This compartmentalizes my browsing and helps keep sensitive browsing separate from daily browsing.

I went with Firefox because it is widely used and open source, which means there are lots of eyes watching how it works, and because it is free. I continue using Safari because it is highly integrated with macOS and Apple consistently provides updates for it.

Firefox add-ons I use:

• Adblock Plus
• Disconnect
• Ghostery
• Google Analytics Opt-out
• NoScript
• Privacy Badger

 

[Queen6]

KnockKnock and Bitdefender free version on the Mac App Store. Forget MalwareBytes is near useless...

Q-6

 

[Queen6]

Now that you have a fresh start, you might want to think about either installing some blockers to Safari, including an ad blocker and a javascript blocker, or using two browsers.

This is my setup: I use Firefox with privacy and security add-ons for general browsing. I use Safari in its default configuration for a very small number of trusted websites I visit regularly. This compartmentalizes my browsing and helps keep sensitive browsing separate from daily browsing.

I went with Firefox because it is widely used and open source, which means there are lots of eyes watching how it works, and because it is free. I continue using Safari because it is highly integrated with macOS and Apple consistently provides updates for it.

Firefox add-ons I use:

• Adblock Plus
• Disconnect
• Ghostery
• Google Analytics Opt-out
• NoScript
• Privacy Badger

Different approach but same sentiment, no ads, no trackers, no BS...

Q-6

 

[Alex Cai]

go to safari settings and check the notifications

 

[orionquest]

Stop using safari, and switch to FireFox with uBlock origin. Life will be better and safer.
Safari is too tie into Apple's OS, which can become a gateway to security issues. Other browsers do not have this level of intergration, so less to worry about.

 

[MBAir2010]

Seems to me that Safari is more secure than Firefox and sync perfect with my  devices.
the "hidden email" is a great feature that should have been available in 1999.
I would avoid all those 3rd party apps like "bites,cleaner and ones named after precious stones"
 does more than enough to keep our Macbook m1s and beyond safe.

 

[BikGer2]

Stop using safari, and switch to FireFox with uBlock origin. Life will be better and safer.
Safari is too tie into Apple's OS, which can become a gateway to security issues. Other browsers do not have this level of intergration, so less to worry about.

Yes, but the integration into the ecosystem is the main reason I use Safari. I tried using Chrome last year, and Safari just seems more efficient, I can always have more tabs open and I find it's better optimized. Also, the tab groups feature has been a game changer for me.