My macbook has a virus!

[macbroadcast]

Hello,

I know you get these alot, but I think I might have one. Just today, every time I browse the web, this "URL4SHORT" keeps opening up and redirecting me all the time. I dont know what to do! Could it be a serious virus?

Thank you.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Hello,

I know you get these alot, but I think I might have one. Just today, every time I browse the web, this "URL4SHORT" keeps opening up and redirecting me all the time. I dont know what to do! Could it be a serious virus?

Thank you.

Sounds liek a classic malware problem not a virus as such download an anti malware app and get rid of it.

 

[macbroadcast]

What has caused this to happen? Do you think its effected my mac?

I checked through norton:https://safeweb.norton.com/report/show?url=http://url4short.info/

they say theres 0 threats

 

[Meister]

There are no viruses for mac.
Like the previous poster suggested it sounds like malware.
Close all tabs and clean your history, cookies and cache of your browser.

 

[MagicBoy]

Hello,

I know you get these alot, but I think I might have one. Just today, every time I browse the web, this "URL4SHORT" keeps opening up and redirecting me all the time. I dont know what to do! Could it be a serious virus?

Thank you.

Worth doing as Meister suggests, also ensure you've turned off any browser extensions.

I've seen this mentioned before - it's not a virus. It's a DNS redirect if memory serves. Check your router, reset it to the defaults if possible.

 

[macbroadcast]

There are no viruses for mac.
Like the previous poster suggested it sounds like malware.
Close all tabs and clean your history, cookies and cache of your browser.

When I do clear all history etc. It comes back again opening URL4Shorts. Then it will not open again?

 

[Meister]

When I do clear all history etc. It comes back again opening URL4Shorts. Then it will not open again?

Have you tried another browser?

 

[macbroadcast]

Worth doing as Meister suggests, also ensure you've turned off any browser extensions.

I've seen this mentioned before - it's not a virus. It's a DNS redirect if memory serves. Check your router, reset it to the defaults if possible.

I just re-set my router, turned of all extensions and clear all browsing history etc and is still redirecting me to the website. Interesting though, it only happens with a certain website. I just hope it hasn't infected my computer

----------

Have you tried another browser?

I just used safari same thing and without ad-block, pop-ups showed up

 

[maflynn]

There are no viruses for mac.
Like the previous poster suggested it sounds like malware.
Close all tabs and clean your history, cookies and cache of your browser.

For all intents and purposes people use virus and malware interchangeably. I understand that he may not mean a virus but something malevolent, i.e., malware.

 

[Meister]

I googled it and this came up:
http://blog.doohelp.com/how-to-get-rid-ofremove-url4short-info-redirect-virus/

Might be worth a look

----------

For all intents and purposes people use virus and malware interchangeably. I understand that he may not mean a virus but something malevolent, i.e., malware.

He also might be using windows.

 

[macbroadcast]

I googled it and this came up:
http://blog.doohelp.com/how-to-get-rid-ofremove-url4short-info-redirect-virus/

Might be worth a look

----------

He also might be using windows.

I'm using OSX only.

 

[maflynn]

He also might be using windows.

My point is people use virus and malware interchangeably.

 

[macbroadcast]

So what options do I have to get rid of this virus? Will it slowly infect my macbook?

 

[yjchua95]

So what options do I have to get rid of this virus? Will it slowly infect my macbook?

Let's get this straight. It's NOT A VIRUS, it's MALWARE.

Use AdwareMedic (http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php), run it and that's it.

 

[macbroadcast]

Let's get this straight. It's NOT A VIRUS, it's MALWARE.

Use AdwareMedic (http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php), run it and that's it.

I hope not, cause most websites say its quite serious: http://www.safebro.com/url4short-info-virus-remove

Thanks for the application, I tried it and didnt work
So far I have done the following, reseted my router to factory settings and cleared all browsing history and everytime I do so, URL4SHORTS pop-ups. Here is a screen shot of it. There would be alot of pop-ups if i didnt install Ad-block.

 

[yjchua95]

I hope not, cause most websites say its quite serious: http://www.safebro.com/url4short-info-virus-remove

Thanks for the application, I tried it and didnt work
So far I have done the following, reseted my router to factory settings and cleared all browsing history and everytime I do so, URL4SHORTS pop-ups. Here is a screen shot of it. There would be alot of pop-ups if i didnt install Ad-block.

Can you change the DNS to these ones:
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

IPv6 DNS:
2620:0:ccc::2
2620:0:ccd::2


Do it on both the router and OS X.

 

[MagicBoy]

That looks like it might be Chrome? Not entirely sure as I won't use the badly written power wasting heap of junk.

Do you get the same problem with Safari?

 

[Meister]

That looks like it might be Chrome? Not entirely sure as I won't use the badly written power wasting heap of junk.

Do you get the same problem with Safari?

Here you go:

I just used safari same thing and without ad-block, pop-ups showed up

 

[Weaselboy]

So what options do I have to get rid of this virus? Will it slowly infect my macbook?

Let's back up a bit. You don't have a virus or malware either one.

What is happening is a web site you are visiting is using Javascript to hijack your browser and reroute you to that page you see there.

For Safari, quit Safari completely then hold the shift key down when you click Safari to relaunch it. That will stop the redirect from repeating.

Now to stop it from happening again, you have two choices. Either don't go back to that skeevy web site again. Or go into Safari preferences and turn off Javascript. Turning off Javascript may limit functionality of some legit web sites you need to use.

Or, you can leave Javascript on and use an extension like Javascript Blocker to only allow Javascript to run on sites you desginate.

 

[GGJstudios]

Hello,

I know you get these alot, but I think I might have one. Just today, every time I browse the web, this "URL4SHORT" keeps opening up and redirecting me all the time. I dont know what to do! Could it be a serious virus?

URL4SHORT is Windows malware that cannot run on OS X. You do not have a virus on your Mac. Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released over 12 years ago. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided by practicing safe computing (see below). 3rd party antivirus apps are not necessary to keep a Mac malware-free, as long as a user practices safe computing, as described in the following link.

​

Read the What security steps should I take? section of the Mac Virus/Malware FAQ for tips on practicing safe computing.

If you've run AdwareMedic and nothing was found, if you haven't already done so, try changing your DNS servers on your Mac and your router to OpenDNS servers. This will show you how: Why am I being redirected to other sites?

 

[macbroadcast]

Thank you all for the help and feeback on this issue.

Like I said the issue only seems to occur on a website called "media spy" (about Australian TV). Surprisingly thought this wouldn't occur there. And URL4SHORTS only opens when I have cleared all browsing history, cache etc which is odd.

I have already tried using AdawareMedic with no luck. yjchua95 mentioned to change my DNS from my router, but not sure how?

 

[Weaselboy]

Thank you all for the help and feeback on this issue.

Like I said the issue only seems to occur on a website called "media spy" (about Australian TV). Surprisingly thought this wouldn't occur there. And URL4SHORTS only opens when I have cleared all browsing history, cache etc which is odd.

I have already tried using AdawareMedic with no luck. yjchua95 mentioned to change my DNS from my router, but not sure how?

You don't need to do anything. There is nothing wrong with your computer. I just went to that site and got the same url4short redirect you did.

What has happened is the bulletin board software that site uses is infected. Read this article.

Reread what I posted a couple posts up. If you turn off Javascript and go back to that same site you will not get the redirect. I just tested it with and without Javascript, and with Javascript off the redirect does not occur.

So you have nothing wrong on your end and just don't go back to that site until they fix the infection they have.

 

[Meister]

My point is people use virus and malware interchangeably.

Don't you think calling what's happening to this guy a "virus" is misleading?

----------

You don't need to do anything. There is nothing wrong with your computer. I just went to that site and got the same url4short redirect you did.

What has happened is the bulletin board software that site uses is infected. Read this article.

Reread what I posted a couple posts up. If you turn off Javascript and go back to that same site you will not get the redirect. I just tested it with and without Javascript, and with Javascript off the redirect does not occur.

So you have nothing wrong on your end and just don't go back to that site until they fix the infection they have.

Listen to the Weasel. He is right, as usual!

 

[macbroadcast]

You don't need to do anything. There is nothing wrong with your computer. I just went to that site and got the same url4short redirect you did.

What has happened is the bulletin board software that site uses is infected. Read this article.

Reread what I posted a couple posts up. If you turn off Javascript and go back to that same site you will not get the redirect. I just tested it with and without Javascript, and with Javascript off the redirect does not occur.

So you have nothing wrong on your end and just don't go back to that site until they fix the infection they have.

Thank you, that does give a piece of mind. I did click on some of the tabs (feedback, home, private policy) though on URLS4SHORTS to see what the hell it was, which was stupid, but could that have caused anything? Also, I'm using only Chrome, not safari so I can't block any javascript.

Apologies for the amount of concern, I just usually am careful and this surprised me and not so good with the technical side of the internet world.

----------

Don't you think calling what's happening to this guy a "virus" is misleading?

----------


Listen to the Weasel. He is right, as usual!

Im sure he is!

 

[Weaselboy]

Thank you, that does give a piece of mind. I did click on some of the tabs (feedback, home, private policy) though on URLS4SHORTS to see what the hell it was, which was stupid, but could that have caused anything? Also, I'm using only Chrome, not safari so I can't block any javascript.

Apologies for the amount of concern, I just usually am careful and this surprised me and not so good with the technical side of the internet world.

Nah... that won't hurt anything. As long as did not download and install anything, you are okay.

Chrome has a similar feature built in. Go to Chrome preferences and in the Privacy section click on content settings you will see this screen where you can turn off Javascript then only allow it on sites you have added to the manage exceptions list there.

You can test what I told you by turning Javascript off there and going back to the site and you will see you do not get the redirect any longer.

No problem with all the questions. I would be worried too if I started getting weird popups.