Home Malware Programs Browser Hijackers ‘BOSC Warning’ Pop-Up

‘BOSC Warning’ Pop-Up

Posted: December 10, 2015

Threat Metric

Threat Level: 8/10
Infected PCs: 95
First Seen: December 10, 2015
Last Seen: April 10, 2020
OS(es) Affected: Windows

The 'BOSC Warning' pop-up is a pop-up tactic used to encourage random Web surfers to contact a fake technical support line. Through this connection, con artists may request access to your computer, promote scamware products or try to collect legally-protected information like your credit card number. Any contact with a 'BOSC Warning' pop-up should be taken as roughly equivalent to loading a threatening website, with scans by your anti-malware tools used for deleting any settings changes that cause a 'BOSC Warning' pop-up to load more than once.

The Very Last Browser Warning You should Follow

The 'BOSC Warning' campaign is one that malware experts saw in evidence in December of this year. While similar campaigns have conducted themselves through other pop-up attacks (like the 866-344-4315 Pop-Up or the 'Warning! You Have Excessive Pop-Ups' Alert) in previous months, the 'BOSC Warning' attacks are associated with a browser-specific PC threat that only modifies the Firefox browser. No other symptoms, such as homepage changes or advertising pop-ups, have ties to these attacks, implying that the threat was designed specifically for promoting the fake 'BOSC Warning' messages.

PCs with this threat installed may load pop-ups for the 'BOSC Warning' pop-up via Firefox, including accompanying 'beep' error sounds that associate themselves with hardware problems (such as improperly configured graphics cards) traditionally. Meanwhile, the content of the 'BOSC Warning' may include fraudulent security warnings and recommendations for calling an equally-fraudulent technical support hotline. Malware experts found computer users affected by these attacks that contacted the 'BOSC Warning' hotline being requested to grant remote access to their machines, effectively turning a pop-up attack into a backdoor attack, as well.

Backdoor attacks grant remote attackers nearly unlimited control over your PC, and may enable unwanted changes to your system settings, the collection of any stored information or even initiating threatening software installations automatically. As two examples, con artists may install a backdoor Trojan to solidify their access to a compromised machine, or install spyware that may collect wide ranges of information that would be impractical to request via phone.

A Final Warning on Stopping a 'BOSC Warning'

Although you may be able to gain a reprieve from a 'BOSC Warning' pop-up by uninstalling Firefox, doing so will not remove any threats responsible for the system changes that launched these pop-up attacks originally. Rather than thwarting the symptom of the security lapse, malware researchers recommend scanning compromised PCs with in-depth anti-malware products traditionally. Basic safeguards like using Safe Mode and closing all unneeded programs (including Chrome) during your scans can help improve your scanner's detection and removal rates.

The con artists behind the 'BOSC Warning' pop-up have histories of portraying themselves as being Microsoft affiliates. This tactic is a common cover for third parties that wish to gain access to your PC for the purpose of collecting financial or identity-related information. Never take technical support advice from pop-ups, or grant remote access to your PC to a stranger whose identity is unverifiable. If you think your data may have had leaked in consequence of a 'BOSC Warning' attack, monitor your credit accounts for any suspicious activity. Your bank and credit card companies may provide further assistance if it's needed.

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