How to stop updates-macos.com from displaying notifications (ads)

What kind of page is updates-macos[.]com?

Updates-macos[.]com is a rogue page discovered by our researchers during a routine investigation session browsing dubious websites. We determined that this webpage promotes browser notification spam and generates redirects to different (likely unreliable/malicious) sites.

The majority of visitors to updates-macos[.]com and similar pages access them through redirects caused by websites that employ rogue advertising networks.

Updates-macos[.]com overview

The exact behavior of rogue sites (i.e., what they host or promote) may differ since it can be influenced by the visitor's IP address/ geolocation. When we visited updates-macos[.]com, it presented us with a "Human verification" – essentially, a fake CAPTCHA test.

Beside a checkbox-type test, the webpage stated – "Are you a human being? We apologize for the confusion, but we can't quite tell if you're a person or a script. Please don't take this personally. Bots and scripts can be remarkably lifelike these days!". Upon its completion, updates-macos[.]com displayed a browser notification delivery prompt, which can be misinterpreted as part of the verification process.

If a rogue page is allowed to deliver browser notifications, it spams users with ads endorsing online scams, unreliable/harmful software, and even malware.

To summarize, through websites like updates-macos[.]com – users may experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by updates-macos.com
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names	CyRadar (Malicious), alphaMountain.ai (Suspicious), Fortinet (Spam), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	52.15.34.25
Observed Domains	op.updates-macos[.]com; top.updates-macos[.]com; tip.updates-macos[.]com; hot.updates-macos[.]com; pal.updates-macos[.]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 investigated countless rogue pages; cleandiskpc[.]com, coisigne[.]com, cliegacklianons[.]com, and webetes[.]org are merely some of our newest articles. These websites display browser notifications that endorse deceptive and malicious content.

While legitimate products or services may be encountered via these advertisements – they are unlikely to be promoted by their developers or other official parties. It is most probable that this promotion is undertaken by scammers who abuse the content's affiliate programs to obtain illegitimate commissions.

How did updates-macos[.]com gain permission to deliver spam notifications?

Websites require user permission to deliver browser notifications. Therefore, you have likely accessed updates-macos[.]com and pressed "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or a similar option – thus permitting the advert delivery.

How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?

Should you stumble upon a suspicious page – do not permit it to deliver browser notifications (i.e., do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications, etc."). Instead, ignore or deny notification requests from such websites (i.e., press "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

In case of continuous random redirects to questionable sites, inspect the device for installed adware. If your computer is already infected with rogue applications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Screenshot of a notification (advertisement) displayed by the updates-macos[.]com website:

Appearance of the updates-macos[.]com 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 Ads by updates-macos.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 updates-macos[.]com in the right lower corner of my desktop?

Sites cannot display browser notifications without user consent. Hence, you've likely visited updates-macos[.]com and enabled the ad delivery by clicking "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or an analogous option presented on this page.

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

No, clicking on a browser notification will not initiate any system infection processes. However, these adverts can endorse content capable of causing serious problems (including malware infections).

Is updates-macos[.]com a virus?

No, updates-macos[.]com is not considered to be a virus, but it can endorse virulent content. Rogue websites commonly promote online scams, untrustworthy/dangerous software, and even malware.

Will Combo Cleaner remove updates-macos[.]com ads automatically or manual steps are still required?

Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan your device and revoke the permissions given to the updates-macos[.]com page. It will also deny further access to this and other rogue/malicious websites. Therefore, additional steps will not be required.

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