Ads causing redirects/Fake McAfee Ads/Large Ads (Sept 2024)

[Pickysaurus]

Thanks for the reports and we're sorry you're having this issue. 

 

We'll forward this information to our ad providers. If possible, please provide the additional info from this post to help us track the issue down more effectively. 

[MrsBigBrain69]

What the title says. It started happening around Saturday I think (perhaps Friday) and when it happens, I get redirected to a small variety of sites. Fake McAfee seems to be the most common. As per the guidelines I will lay out the required details for a specific incident. That incident being with "Microsoft Defender SmartScreen" (fake of course)

-I have McAfee, and a smart scan returned totally clean

-As for the date and time, 9/17/2024 4:51 AM (US eastern time)

-I was on this specific page (again it will happen at any nexus mods page from what I can tell) The Storyteller Companion - Official Mod of The ShoddyCast at Fallout New Vegas - mods and community (nexusmods.com) (I was just checking this mod out. It's really neat, but may have issues ok)

-Location: Unites States Connecticut

-This is bad because it is randomly redirecting me to other (potentially dangerous) sites that I have no interest in. The whole experience is very intrusive, annoying, and concerning.

-The URL of this specific incident: https://rtbbhub.com/script/s2iurl.php?stamat=m%7C%2C%2CQiPqIiOmtGU3BJ_GH0dEdHP3xP.329%2CwAT2_4RD9ATC-2MZHiY-RZU86TJGv07z3Da_2yYQipW09oKbwnwVhP5zNpbv0N34korDN8xQ3UDOoepQZsdScLYA9HDkHhj-GmAlbLVgsmNlA2_npSK5QMYW_g1WaWpniZUHkZuJE2yj_eag_CtErh_8uEmQyQTF_x8CRYmKiUoPAOzD45uzAKuwFJrc1OE3CS5ByD1GiqI3Z7J-IbIM6ASvRaCbMnuecchR9Sj5JjBT-Y9OCWZ-hKVsVNcnS-dQp1B8yiH_oR_L99oJPjodNQZdCqE6BvJ1xj_NA4ofFs7sCNWTGt-iICuns6lEV2ohQJSpo9jCDjcwDaHXAILrAFDhd_qcZRwcI_s1Xl97v80S6gzaLMFZFoiJs2eyK7eKgLje-25SuT7Qglk7W4JFJjxyV4HvuIYpgNcTtD-cFrTkArd1rL3BPfYpiAvl4KUYDdn4td9KesW7DfFfycS13WFQbKPrVfMkNv4ovNxBhe4SvTp_CKi4WqN4cq0y7Zo0mnW20M6uICE9CQ0BLocw7tZdWJ4WoRZKBKymghgYKFpnkKpMcBv6Yr3pCKznW35u9iLYGTn1PIGeWsqe3UK0_a9IAXuXLENJafIJJVZe2C5jt4Ds5OlR-qwRMJErBZGAZkdN6avEIV_JwTT7oQVZBzclbpHPGbUCDC-P3RNa3Y4FtRVscMciPvZOGYAtox93ox8mLfF-XO2sTlhu0J9Se5BISns_K-a5_Edge2TpjduXjcqHHERrsCFCYVnIz0in0f96xi5FKOcbIc8wlcxMXce5asCE2EM7oLQam4GxS1YwIwZYkbRM4k8ZrOZoyUGesvU6d_WrAsVn0INz_QqS4dJVL0Vk8KsJf_HJGWzthP93-g3VO5C4_v1Kar8SjfTUIqUfFpsVrNpiPo87pggiGA%2C%2C&csid=5301391&s1=130&md=1

-Screenshot of this incident is attached

 

[Pickysaurus]

@MrsBigBrain69 I've merged your thread with this one as it's about the same thing. Please see my response above your post. 

[AndyPandyW]

I've never even noticed ads on the site before they used to sit very unobtrusively at the sides, now all of the sudden they are very garish and taking up the whole side panels with bright white adds and getting google ads popping up at the bottom of the screen now as well which get in front of everything rather intrusively; covering screenshots, text etc... Not sure what's changed but this is making navigating the site more trouble than it's worth. And yes, the constant re-direct blocked warnings from Malwarebytes are really annoying as well. Also a new addition by the looks of it.

This screenshot shows the actual usable space for browsing/reading mods left on the page is only about 43% of the whole page (just the yellow box), this is very suddenly very different to the ad experience we've had for years now.

Edited September 17 by AndyPandyW
Added better screenshot example

[Makron8]

I too just got a redirect to this site just a few minutes ago. 

Spoiler

I did some research into the domain "networkenhance.co.in", and found that it's a popup scam wherein the user is tricked into allowing notifications to bombard their system with obtrusive links and potentially malware as well. cite: https://www.myantispyware.com/2024/07/08/networkenhance-co-in-mcafee-pop-up-scam-virus-removal-guide/

 

Per your request, I did a scan with my Windows Defender and came up clean and aside from the initial redirect, I haven't had any other popup issues.

Hailing from the Pacific Northwest US and the attack started while browsing the New Vegas Nexus "All Mods" page.

Edited September 17 by Makron8

[CharleyKing1822]

Having the same issue here. Threw me off for a second because I do use McAfee. Glad I didn't let it "scan" my computer for the viruses it said I had lol (ran a scan on the McAfee app, and I'm clear).

[luckyhand21]

This is happening to me too. Just by scrolling through mods, I'll be redirected to other sites. The fact that one of the redirects automatically starts downloading "Opera" takes this from being annoying to down right scary. Nexus needs to fix this.

[deustrek]

same is happening here and I'm not clicking on any ads. starting a new search for fallout 4 mods just redirects me to spam and hijacks the webpage after 10 seconds of entering a new search

...tbh I've been a nexus member for years but ads are so bad now, might just live on bethesda.net instead

Edited September 18 by deustrek

[Willtar59]

I had the same thing happen and yes i got a virus on my computer from it even though i did not click anything bad... I got JS.Malscript!g1 Virus. I caught it within the first few minutes before any real damage could be done. It was Hiding in my Cache_Data Folder with a file name of f_00347a... I would for sure not go on the main site pages with this problem going on. Ppl keep asking if you will get a virus well seems so and you don't want this one to sit on your pc for to long. Keep in mind I want to make it clear "Do not delete files from your Cache_Data Folder unless you know it is infected or an injected file".  

Edited September 18 by Willtar59

[Iluviel]

10 hours ago, AndyPandyW said:

I've never even noticed ads on the site before they used to sit very unobtrusively at the sides, now all of the sudden they are very garish and taking up the whole side panels with bright white adds and getting google ads popping up at the bottom of the screen now as well which get in front of everything rather intrusively; covering screenshots, text etc... Not sure what's changed but this is making navigating the site more trouble than it's worth. And yes, the constant re-direct blocked warnings from Malwarebytes are really annoying as well. Also a new addition by the looks of it.

This screenshot shows the actual usable space for browsing/reading mods left on the page is only about 43% of the whole page (just the yellow box), this is very suddenly very different to the ad experience we've had for years now.

The ads have been in this format and layout for some time now, so this is not a new change we've implemented.

That being said... we're looking at removing the left and right adverts (on your example the HSBC and Bupa ones) as we agree that there are too many ads.