How to stop redirects to and from pu.biz sites
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is the pu[.]biz website?
pu[.]biz sites (e.g., pu5[.]biz, pu6[.]biz, and many other domain variations) are rogue web pages. They present visitors with dubious content and/or redirect them to other untrusted/malicious sites.
Typically, users access these websites inadvertently - most are redirected to them by intrusive ads or installed Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs). This software does not require explicit permission to infiltrate systems, and thus users may be unaware of its presence. PUAs operate by causing redirects, delivering intrusive advertisement campaigns, and gathering browsing-related data.
The internet is rife with rogue sites similar to pu[.]biz including news-central.org, ablotadom.com, hanksforyou.biz, and fastcaptcharesolve.com as just some examples.
pu[.]biz first checks visitors' IP (Internet Protocol) addresses to learn their geolocations. This data is crucial to determining the site's further course of action. I.e., whether visitors are redirected elsewhere and/or are presented with dubious content depends on their geolocations.
Furthermore, pu[.]biz uses deceptive tactics (i.e., fake CAPTCHA verification) to trick users into enabling its browser notifications. This is typical of most websites of this type. Should the notifications be allowed, the web page starts running intrusive ad campaigns.
The delivered advertisements are more than a minor nuisance, they are also dangerous. When clicked, intrusive ads can redirect to various sale-oriented, misleading, dubious, deceptive/scam, and malicious sites. Furthermore, these ads can be triggered (when clicked) to execute scripts designed to stealthily download/install software (e.g., PUAs).
These unwanted applications can have varied dangerous functionality, and these functions can be in different combinations. For example, PUAs can force-open hazardous web pages and run intrusive advertisement campaigns.
Most these apps also have data tracking capabilities. They can monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and collect sensitive information (IP addresses, geolocations, and personally identifiable details). PUA developers monetize the gathered data by sharing it with and/or selling it to third-parties (potentially, cyber criminals).
In summary, this unwanted software can lead to system infections, serious privacy issues, financial loss, and even identity theft. To ensure device integrity and user privacy, all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins must be eliminated immediately upon detection.
Name | pu.biz pop-up |
Threat Type | Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads |
Observed Domains | pu5[.]biz, pu6[.]biz, etc. |
Serving IP Address (pu5[.]biz) | 188.166.68.96 |
Serving IP Address)(pu6[.]biz) | 128.199.45.147 |
Symptoms | Seeing advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing. Intrusive pop-up ads. Decreased Internet browsing speed. |
Distribution Methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications (adware) |
Damage | Decreased computer performance, browser tracking - privacy issues, possible additional malware infections. |
Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
PUAs may seem legitimate and "useful", however, despite how good the features promised may sound, they are seldom operational. The only purpose of this unwanted software is to generate profit for the developers. PUAs cause redirects, deliver intrusive ad campaigns, and collect private data.
How did adware install on my computer?
PUAs are distributed via download/installation set-ups of other products. This deceptive marketing tactic of packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions is called "bundling".
Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and settings, etc.) increases the risk of inadvertently allowing bundled content into the system.
Some PUAs have "official" download sites. Intrusive advertisements proliferate these applications as well. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' consent.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
You are advised to research all software before download/installation. Use only official and verified download channels. Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule), and other third party downloaders commonly offer harmful and bundled content, and are therefore untrusted and should be avoided.
When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, and so on.
Intrusive advertisements typically seem legitimate, however, they can redirect to dubious and malicious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and many others). If you encounter ads or redirects of this kind, inspect the system and remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately.
Installed programs must be activated and updated with tools or implemented functions that are provided by the official developers. No other third party, unofficial tools should be used.
Note that it is illegal to activate licensed software with ‘cracking’ tools. Files and programs should be downloaded from official websites and via direct download links. Avoid third party installers and the tools/sources mentioned above.
Do not open website links or files in irrelevant emails that are received from unknown, suspicious addresses. These bogus emails are often disguised as official and important. Regularly, scan your computer with reputable, up-to-date antivirus or anti-spyware software.
If your computer is already infected with rogue applications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.
Appearance of pu5[.]biz website (GIF):
Appearance of pu6[.]biz website (GIF):
Instant automatic malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
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Quick menu:
- What is pu.biz pop-up?
- STEP 1. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome
- STEP 2. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android)
- STEP 3. Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox
- STEP 4. Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge
- STEP 5. Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS)
Disable unwanted browser notifications:
Video showing how to disable web browser notifications:
Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome:
Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". In the opened window select "Privacy and security", then click on "Site Settings" and choose "Notifications".
In the "Allowed to send notifications" list search for websites that you want to stop receiving notifications from. Click on the three dots icon near the website URL and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).
Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android):
Tap the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". Scroll down, tap on "Site settings" and then "Notifications".
In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and tap on them one-by-one. Once the pop-up shows up, select either "Block" or "Remove" (if you tap "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).
Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen. Select "Settings" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen. Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications".
In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and block them using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove Website" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove Website" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).
Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge:
Click the menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the Edge window and select "Settings". Click on "Cookies and site permissions" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen and select "Notifications".
Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL under "Allow" section and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).
Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS):
Click "Safari" button on the left upper corner of the screen and select "Preferences...". Select the "Websites" tab and then select "Notifications" section on the left pane.
Check for suspicious URLs and apply the "Deny" option using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)
How to avoid browser notification spam?
Internet users should be very skeptical when being asked to allow notifications. While this is a useful feature that allows you to receive timely news from websites you like, deceptive marketers frequently abuse it.
Only allow notifications from websites that you fully trust. For added security - use an anti-malware application with a real-time web browsing monitor to block shady websites that tries to trick you into allowing spam notifications. We recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
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