How to remove applications force-opening the catests.space website?

What is the catests[.]space website?

Catests[.]space is a rogue webpage sharing common traits with matrix-news.net, darliament.space, push-news.org, news-mosuka.cc, and countless others. This site is designed to load dubious content and/or redirect visitors to different websites (likely unreliable or malicious ones).

Users rarely access such pages intentionally; most get redirected to them by rogue sites, intrusive adverts, or installed PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications). These apps can infiltrate systems without user permission. PUAs operate by causing redirects, running intrusive advertisement campaigns, and collecting browsing-related data.

Catests[.]space in detail

Rogue websites first check the visitor's IP (Internet Protocol) address to lean their geolocation. This data determines the page's further course of action. Whether visitors are presented with questionable material and/or get redirected elsewhere - depends on their geolocations.

Additionally, these sites use clickbait, fake CAPTCHA verification, or other deceptive content - to lure users into allowing their browser notifications. Catests[.]space is not an exception to this; should its notifications be enabled - the webpage will start delivering intrusive advertisement campaigns.

The displayed ads are more than just a nuisance, they also endanger device/user safety. They promote various sale-based, untrustworthy, deceptive/scam, and malicious websites. Furthermore, some intrusive adverts can infiltrate software (e.g., PUAs) into systems - once they are clicked on.

How do potentially unwanted applications operate?

Potentially unwanted apps can have a variety of harmful functionalities, which can be in different combinations. For example, these applications can force-open sites and/or run intrusive advert campaigns. What is more, PUAs usually have data tracking abilities.

Information of interest includes: URLs visited, webpages viewed, search queries typed, IP addresses/ geolocations, personally identifiable details, and other vulnerable data. The gathered data is then shared with and/or sold to third-parties (potentially, cyber criminals).

To summarize, the presence of unwanted software on devices can lead to system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	catests.space pop-up
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names	Bfore.Ai PreCrime (Malicious), Fortinet (Malware), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	192.64.119.74
Observed Domains	dwhib.catests[.]space; brzfw.catests.[.]space; pispw.catests[.]space; yoypl.catests[.]space; zjofy.catests[.]space; zztgr.catests[.]space; rdhuv.catests[.]space; ylupw.catests[.]space; hsxbs.catests[.]space; vlamh.catests[.]space; dkhlt.catests[.]space; zhulf.catests[.]space; etc.
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. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Potentially unwanted applications in general

PUAs typically appear ordinary and offer various "handy" functions. However, the advertised features are usually nonoperational. The sole goal of unwanted apps is to generate revenue for the developers. PUAs operate by causing redirects, delivering intrusive ad campaigns, and collecting private data.

How did adware install on my computer?

PUAs are distributed through downloaders/installers of other software. This false marketing tactic of packing regular programs with unwanted or malicious additions - is named "bundling". Rushed downloads/installations (e.g., skipped steps, used pre-set options, etc.) increase the risk of unintentionally allowing bundled content into the device.

Intrusive advertisements are used to spread PUAs as well. Once clicked on, the adverts can execute scripts to download/install these applications without user consent. PUAs can also have "official" promotional sites from which they can be downloaded.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

It is recommended to research software before download/installation. Additionally, only official and trustworthy download channels must be used. Dubious sources, e.g., unofficial and freeware sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, and other third-party downloaders - often offer bundled and harmful content.

When downloading/installing, it is important to read terms, study available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt-out from additional apps, tools, features, etc. Intrusive adverts appear legitimate; however, they redirect to highly questionable pages (e.g., gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and so on).

In case of encounters with such ads and/or redirects, the system must be checked and all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins detected - removed from it without delay. 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 catests[.]space 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:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is catests.space 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.

▼ Show Discussion