Critical Programming Alert Pop-Ups

Posted: August 27, 2015

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	8/10
Infected PCs:	5

First Seen:	August 27, 2015
Last Seen:	October 1, 2020
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

The 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups are Web-based threats that may use your browser to expose you to con artists. Like other, equally fraudulent warning messages, a Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups doesn't deliver accurate information about your PC's state of security, and malware experts advise avoiding any unneeded interaction with them. If your browser launches the 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups repeatedly, you should revise your Web-surfing behavior accordingly, or scan your PC with anti-malware tools able to remove the threat responsible for your browser's malfunctions.

The Critical Issue with the 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups

In their attempts to distribute threats, collect information and garner money by any means necessary, Internet-savvy people may turn to ironic means of packaging their attacks. One common sub-category of Web attack is the fake security alert, of which malware experts have seen a new variant in late August of this year. The 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups have been distributing themselves through advertising networks on unsafe sites, with the affected domains still being determined.

Like similar attacks, the 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups may deliver text implying that they're automatically blocking threatening content from an unknown website. However, unlike legitimate alerts, the 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups also request that the Web surfer call a technical support number: (855) 982-9386. The following phone conversation may have various effects, depending on the actions of the PC user and the responding con artist, but common outcomes may include:

You may be instructed to make an upfront purchase of non-functional (or even nonexistent) software to repair, optimize or otherwise 'fix' your PC.
You may be requested to modify your PC's settings in ways that allow third parties to gain remote access to it, such as Teamviewer or other, third-party remote support applications. Although these programs may not be threats, when abused, they can grant access to your PC that is as hazardous as the attacks of backdoor Trojans.
Third parties also may try to install threats on your PC in the guise of repairing it. Common payloads in these hoaxes tend to include fraudulent registry cleaners, anti-virus scanners and similar, fake 'products' that may block other programs or otherwise damage your machine.

The 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups only have been confirmed for targeting Chrome users. Despite this limitation in current attacks, the 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups and tactics like it are equally hazardous to most browsers and operating systems.

Why You Don't Need a Programmer to be Rid of Fake Alerts

Web surfers who know what to expect from browser error messages can use the discrepancies between them and the 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups to identify the latter as being threatening attacks. Requests to contact a phone number, references to 'programming' errors, refusals to identify the associated security service all are common symptoms of phishing tactics. Malware researchers also see the 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups using scripts to block their windows from being terminated, which is another, major indication of their fraudulence.

As per standard Web safety practices, you should avoid sites that promote the 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups until their security hole has been closed. Although affected PC users can request that their banks cancel any charges incurred by con artists related to this attack, prevention is preferable to losing your money or information, even temporarily. For that purpose, you can remove repeating the 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups with scans from the right security programs, particularly those equipped to handle adware, browser hijackers and other Web-surfing threats.

Critical Programming Alert Pop-Ups

Threat Metric

The Critical Issue with the 'Critical Programming Alert' pop-ups

Why You Don't Need a Programmer to be Rid of Fake Alerts

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