Removing the notifications/ads displayed by browser-under-protection.com

What kind of page is browser-under-protection[.]com?

Our researchers discovered the browser-under-protection[.]com rogue website during a routine inspection of untrustworthy pages. It is designed to promote scams, push browser notification spam, and redirect to other (likely dubious/malicious) sites.

These webpages are typically accessed via redirects caused by sites using rogue advertising networks.

Browser-under-protection[.]com overview

The behavior of rogue pages can depend on the visitor's IP address (geolocation). Hence, the content encountered on and through these sites can vary.

When we inspected browser-under-protection[.]com, we found three variants - three distinct scams promoted on this webpage.

Browser-under-protection[.]com ran the "Your Chrome Is Severely Damaged By 13 Malware!" scam, one presented as an article about an Android OS application, and another one disguised as a "Critical Alert" stating that a "Security Checkup" is highly recommended.

Scams of this kind are usually employed to endorse fraudulent and malicious software (e.g., fake anti-viruses, adware, browser hijackers, PUAs, trojans, ransomware, etc.).

Additionally, some of these scams displayed a pop-up stating - "Missing permissions detected/ Click on the bell icon shown in the top right/left of the address bar then click allow" - these deceptive instructions are intended to trick visitors into enabling browser-under-protection[.]com to deliver browser notifications. All variants of this page presented us with notification delivery requests.

Rogue websites use browser notifications to run intrusive advert campaigns. The notifications/ads promote online scams, unreliable/harmful sites and software, and even malware.

To summarize, via webpages like browser-under-protection[.]com - users can experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by browser-under-protection.com
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	23.106.248.15
Observed Domains	2.browser-under-protection[.]com; 21.browser-under-protection[.]com; 45.browser-under-protection[.]com; 56.browser-under-protection[.]com; 31.browser-under-protection[.]com; 89.browser-under-protection[.]com; 32.browser-under-protection[.]com; 71.browser-under-protection[.]com
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, false claims within visited websites, 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.

Browser notification spam in general

We have analyzed thousands of rogue pages; hehighursoo[.]com, victorysweepstakes[.]com, and win-scan[.]com are just a couple of our latest finds.

These websites deliver browser notifications that primarily push deceptive and malicious content. While reputable developers do not employ notification spam to promote their products - they can still be encountered through these advertisements. This is because the endorsement is undertaken by scammers abusing the products' affiliate programs to acquire illegitimate commissions.

How did browser-under-protection[.]com gain permission to deliver spam notifications?

Websites cannot deliver browser notifications without user consent. Therefore, you have likely entered browser-under-protection[.]com at some point and clicked "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or a similar option - thus permitting the site to display these ads.

How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?

To avoid receiving undesirable browser notifications - do not allow suspicious sites to deliver them. In other words, do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or any analogous options presented on such webpages. We advise ignoring or denying notification delivery (i.e., selecting "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Should your browser randomly force-open questionable websites without prompt, it might be caused by adware installed onto it or the system. If your computer is already infected with rogue applications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Text presented in one of the scams promoted on browser-under-protection[.]com website ("Your Chrome Is Severely Damaged By 13 Malware!"):

Pop-up:

YOUR DEVICE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED!
Immediate Action is Required!

 

OK

 

-----------------------

Background:

 

Google SecurityThursday
9 June 2022

WARNING! Your Chrome is severely damaged by 13 Malware!

We have detected that your Chrome is (62%) DAMAGED by Tor.Jack Malware. Malicious and Aggressive Ads have injected this on your device.
Immediate Action is required to Remove and Prevent it from spreading that will leak sensitive data from your device. It includes your Social Media Accounts, Messages, Images, Passwords, and Important Data.

Here is how you can solve this easily in just a few seconds.

Step 1: Click the button below, "Allow error alerts", then subscribe to recommended spam protection app on the next page.

Step 2: Run the powerful Google Play-approved application to clear your device from SPAM ads and block potential Malware with a few taps.

00:09:58

Clean my Device

Detected By: Google

Screenshot of a scam promoted on the browser-under-protection[.]com website:

Screenshot of another scam promoted on the browser-under-protection[.]com website:

Appearance variant of the browser-under-protection[.]com website (GIF):

Video showing how to eliminate ads delivered by browser-under-protection[.]com using Combo Cleaner:

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 Ads by browser-under-protection.com?
• 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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why am I seeing ads (browser notifications) delivered by browser-under-protection[.]com in the right lower corner of my desktop?

Sites require user permission to display browser notifications. Therefore, you've likely visited browser-under-protection[.]com and consented to the delivery of these adverts (i.e., clicked "Allow", "Allow Notifications", etc.).

I have clicked on notification ads, is my computer infected?

No, clicking on a browser notification is harmless in itself. However, the content promoted through these notifications can be dangerous and cause serious issues (including malware infections).

Is browser-under-protection[.]com a virus?

No, websites like browser-under-protection[.]com are not considered to be viruses, but they can endorse virulent content. These sites typically push online scams, fake/harmful apps, and malware.

Will Combo Cleaner remove browser-under-protection[.]com ads automatically or manual steps are still required?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of scanning devices and undoing the permissions given to the browser-under-protection[.]com webpage. Furthermore, Combo Cleaner can block access to this and other rogue, scam, and malicious sites. Hence, no additional steps will be required.

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