Malvertising: What Is It & How Do You Prevent It?

Commercials are a nuisance at best and a security risk at worst. You put yourself at risk just by reading your daily news online. Malvertising is hard to notice and terrible to deal with. However, there are preventative measures you can take to lessen the impact of becoming a victim. Continue reading for more details about malvertising attacks, examples, and how to remove malvertising.

Malvertising

Cybercriminals employ malvertising, often known as malvertising, to infect consumers’ computers with malware when they visit rogue websites or click on online advertisements. Malvertising may also send consumers to a compromised website where their data can be stolen or malware can be downloaded onto their computers. If you watch or click an ad, your computer or mobile device could slow down, you could lose access to your personal information, or all of the above could happen.

How To Identify Malvertisement

Below are some examples of malvertising that can be readily apparent if you know what to look for.

Ads with an amateurish or unrefined appearance
Misspelt advertisements
Ads that promise the moon, like miraculous cures that don’t exist,
Celebrity scandal-themed commercials
Any advertisement claiming to offer something that cannot possibly be real

Malvertising Attack

Malvertising appears on malevolent and trustworthy websites. Sometimes advertisers don’t understand their malvertising is detrimental, thinking it’s simply another ad. Ads are provided to safe websites after advertiser clearance. After a user clicks, the malvertising code runs in the background, potentially downloading malware. This download is “drive-by.” The New York Times stated that the US government had to remove malware from the web to prevent Russian hackers from exploiting it to enter networks after so many infections. Rarely does the drive-by download occur without the user clicking on the malvertising. Users can download the malware from an infected webpage or landing page. If an infected link is clicked, the user may be led to a site that exploits browser security holes with ads. This exploit is different from an exploit kit, a malware hacking toolkit used by attackers to exploit victims’ machines.

Types Of Malvertising Attacks

When discussing malvertising attacks, we could divide it into two parts:

#1. Pre-click Malvertising

When you view an ad on a website, you may unwittingly download malware onto your device through a technique known as a drive-by download attack or a redirect to a malicious website known as pre-click malvertising. Pre-click malvertising is problematic as there’s only so much you can do. The New York Times and The Atlantic, both of which have been involved in similar fraud in the past, are two examples of reputable publications that may host malicious advertisements.

#2. Post-click Malvertising

As the name suggests, post-click advertising requires you to click on an ad to start the download of malware onto your device or redirect it to a dangerous website. Post-click malvertising is just as hazardous as pre-click malvertising; the difference is that you have to take an extra step to avoid it. In this scenario, cybercriminals not only get access to your device, but they can also infect it with spyware, adware, and other harmful software and use it for their own ends (such as cryptojacking).

Spyware allows cybercriminals to monitor your keystrokes, take control of your camera and microphone, and steal your personal information. Identity theft is the next step for cybercriminals when they gain access to your personal information. Aware malware is another tool used by scammers. Fraudsters profit from the ads you view once they install ad-displaying software on your device. Repeatedly committing the same cybercrime usually results in financial gain for the perpetrators. Adware like this may not seem as malicious as spyware at first, but it is still a kind of cybercrime.

How to Prevent Malvertising

It is apparent that the precautions the scammers take improve constantly. However, there are measures you can take to improve your chances of secure browsing.

#1. Use and Update Your Antivirus Software

One of the first things you should do to improve your cybersecurity is to install and run a reliable antivirus product. Keeping it up-to-date is the second one, especially when it comes to malvertising prevention. Avoid falling for phony security apps while trying to stop malvertising. Do not employ them for cybersecurity unless you are certain they will not spy on you, despite their claims to the contrary.

#2. Consider Using Ad Blockers

Ad-blocking software is helpful, but it shouldn’t be your only defense. These programs shield you from harmful advertisements by preventing pop-ups and blocking banner ads. However, it’s important to remember that scammers have already developed methods to bypass ad blockers. Therefore, you must combine them with additional resources (like antivirus software).

#3. Update Your Browser and Uninstall Its Plugins

Due to its susceptibility to drive-by download attacks, your browser must always be up-to-date. All of those upgrades will perform better if they are completed as soon as possible. You should get rid of Flash and Java from your browser’s plugins. The former will cease to exist at the end of 2020, and the latter is no longer maintained. You should remove these plugins immediately because they pose a security risk to your browser.

Malvertising Examples

Some examples of malvertising are as follows:

#1. KS Clean

The KS Clean as Malvertising example campaign involves sneaking adware into a helpful mobile app. Malware-infected advertisements were used to target users. Once the individual clicked on the ad, the malware would start covertly downloading in the background. There would be no warning to the user that they were being targeted. The sole indication would be a message telling them to update the program because their phone had a vulnerability. With a single click of the OK button, the installation would be finalized and the malware would have root access.

#2. RoughTed

In 2017, RoughTed appeared on the scene as one of the malvertising examples Since it could evade detection by ad blockers and other security software, it was unique. RoughTed changed its URLs to evade detection by security systems. Antivirus software checks potential threats’ addresses to see if they match those of known malicious software. They prevent downloading from known malicious URLs, but since RoughTed may alter its URL, these safeguards were rendered useless.

#3. Yahoo Case

One of the earliest well-publicized malvertising attacks occurred in 2015 and affected Yahoo customers. Fraudsters succeeded in securing space for the malicious ads on the website, aiming to implant malware on consumers’ devices. Attackers used a flaw in Adobe Flash to spread ransomware and malicious advertisements. Malwarebytes alerted Yahoo to the scam, and the company promptly removed the harmful advertisements.

#4. Spotify Case

Some advertisements within the Spotify app were contaminated with harmful code, leading to a malvertising incident in 2016. Some Spotify listeners were tricked into clicking on the advertising and then taken to questionable pop-up windows. Other users had also seen attempts to install malware. Users reported the fraud to the music streaming platform, which quickly resolved the situation.

#5. The New York Times and BBC

In 2016, prominent news websites, including The New York Times and BBC, were attacked in a malvertising campaign. Users who clicked on the advertisements were taken to malicious websites that installed the Angler exploit kit and attempted to coerce them into downloading and installing crypto locker-like software. This spyware encrypts the user’s hard drive and demands a ransom in Bitcoin from the victim. For twenty-four hours, this assault continued.

How to Remove Malvertising

Publishers are understandably on the lookout for methods to detect harmful advertisements and block them from being shown. Since malvertising is a worldwide issue, there is no shortage of tools in the digital advertising ecosystem for spotting it early on. Identifying the source of income losses due to malvertising early on can save a significant amount of time. Adware detection tools are now standard on many ad servers. Keep in mind that no scanner is perfect and that some malts may slip through the cracks. The ad manager also checks for potential policy violations in the ads’ creatives.

Get rid of the creative-related domains if they are producing malvertising.
If the creative was obtained through an SSP or ad network, you will need to get in touch with them. Get them to cease serving ads that can drive users to malicious websites by blocking or removing this creative.

If publishers want to put a stop to malvertising, they need to only collaborate with reputable companies. Ad networks, agencies, etc. are investigated to determine whether they unwittingly or knowingly enable advertisers to serve malicious ads.

Additionally, Google has engineered a system that actively attempts to make using the internet a more secure proposition. Every day, billions of websites are checked for potential malware. They’ve also made a secure browsing tool that anyone may use. Google’s tool will notify you if a link you fear is harmful is or isn’t safe to click on.

What Are The Effects Of Malvertising?

Malvertising may still have an impact on a user even if they don’t click on a malicious ad. Some examples are unauthorized pop-up ads, dangerous websites that try to trick you into downloading malware, and “drive-by” download attacks. Finally, Malvertisements can use Javascript to display content and advertisements outside of what the ad network intends.

How Do I Fix Malvertising URLs?

Getting rid of URL: MAL is a simple process. However, you must delete it properly so that the malware can no longer be used by crooks. The first step is to clean your computer of the URL: MAL malware, which can be done automatically or manually. Then close your browser and open it again.

Does AdBlock Stop Malvertising?

Ad-blocking software can eliminate the majority of malicious advertisements and prevent malicious dynamic scripts from launching. If you don’t want to risk seeing and clicking on a malicious ad, it’s best to disable all ads on the websites you visit.

How Do I Permanently Remove Adware?

Although many of these tools cannot currently distinguish between legitimate and malicious adware, some antivirus applications can block malicious adware. Some adware may also prevent antivirus software from functioning properly; in such cases, a more forceful strategy may be necessary.

Is Malvertising A Virus?

Malvertising is an assault that injects malicious code into legitimate Internet advertising networks; therefore, yes, it is a virus. Users are subsequently exposed to these fraudulent advertisements without their knowledge, which may take them to malicious websites. Users’ safety and privacy are put at risk because of the dangerous code that is embedded in these documents.

What Can Malicious Websites Do?

Cybercriminals develop malicious websites to steal users’ personal information and infect their devices with malware like ransomware. Phishing emails are commonly used in conjunction with bogus websites to trick users into visiting them.

Malvertising: What Is It & How Do You Prevent It?

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