How to uninstall software force-opening the cfplay.online website
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is the cfplay[.]online site?
Cfplay[.]online is a rogue website designed to deliver dubious content and redirect visitors to other untrusted and possibly malicious web pages. The internet is full of dangerous sites including cehuiy.com, premiumbros.com, and viketohelp.online - these are just some examples of ones similar to cfplay[.]online.
Typically, users access these web pages unintentionally - most are redirected to them by intrusive ads or installed Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs). These apps do not require explicit permission to infiltrate systems, and thus users may be unaware of their presence. This software can have harmful functionality, including causing redirects, running intrusive advertisement campaigns, and collecting browsing-related information.
The behavior of rogue websites is determined by visitors' geolocations - this applies to cfplay[.]online as well. The pages learn this information by checking users' IP (Internet Protocol) addresses. I.e., whether visitors are redirected elsewhere and/or are presented with dubious material depends on their geolocations.
Furthermore, most sites of this kind use deceptive tactics to trick users into enabling their browser notifications. In the case of cfplay[.]online, it presents visitors with adult-themed 'clickbait' and states that they must allow the notifications to view it. Should the browser notifications be enabled, cfplay[.]online starts running intrusive ad campaigns.
The delivered ads are dangerous and significantly diminish the browsing experience. Once clicked, intrusive advertisements redirect to dubious/malicious websites, and some can stealthily download/install software (e.g., PUAs).
Potentially unwanted applications can have varied dangerous functionality, and these functions can be in different combinations. For example, these apps can force-open untrusted/hazardous web pages and deliver intrusive advertisement campaigns.
Furthermore, PUAs can have data tracking capabilities. They can record browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and collect sensitive information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations, and personally identifiable details). The collected data is then shared with and/or sold to third-parties (potentially, cyber criminals).
In summary, the presence of unwanted software on devices can result in system infections, serious privacy issues, financial loss, and even identity theft. To ensure device integrity and user privacy, all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins must be eliminated immediately upon detection.
Name | cfplay.online pop-up |
Threat Type | Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads |
Detection Names | alphaMountain.ai (Suspicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
Serving IP Address | 157.245.79.75 |
Observed Domains | 3.cfplay[.]online; 1.cfplay[.]online; 10.cfplay[.]online; 7.cfplay[.]online; 6.cfplay[.]online; 8.cfplay[.]online |
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 harmless, and users are often lured into download/installation and purchase with promises of "useful" features, however, the functionality is rarely operational.
The only aim of this unwanted software is to generate revenue for the developers. Rather than delivering any real value, PUAs cause redirects, run intrusive advertisement campaigns, and gather 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 cfplay[.]online 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 cfplay.online 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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