Home Malware Programs Malware URL:Mal

URL:Mal

Posted: October 4, 2012

Threat Metric

Threat Level: 1/10
Infected PCs: 64
First Seen: October 4, 2012
Last Seen: June 17, 2022
OS(es) Affected: Windows

URL:Mal is a generic alert for web page URLs that include malicious content. Such content often consists of phishing attacks, exploits that download malware onto your PC automatically or socially-engineered attempts to get you to download malware yourself. URL:Mal is most likely to be seen when accidentally visiting malicious sites, but URL:Mal can also be detected on hacked websites or sites that have been altered with content injected by advanced types of malware (banking Trojans and some variants of browser hijackers). SpywareRemove.com malware research team recommends that you keep anti-malware software with web-browsing protection open at all times as the best guard against URL:Mal, which can be responsible for attacks that don't show visible symptoms.

URL:Mal and the Download That You Didn't See Coming

URL:Mal is often associated with sites that try to install malicious software automatically. These sites may use exploits like HXXP URLs or the prolific Blackhole Exploit Kit to evade your browser's security features, although anti-malware products should be able to detect drive-by-download attacks as they occur. Redirects to URL:Mal websites also can be included in browser hijacker attacks (which use previously installed malware to redirect your browser without your permission) or in harmless sites that have been hacked to include hostile code. SpywareRemove.com malware research team also notes that redirects and other attacks involving URL:Mal tend to use readily-exploitable features like Java, JavaScript, Adobe software or default Windows programs. Disabling these programs when they're not required and keeping them updated at all times should help to reduce the potential for contact with URL:Mal.

Drive-by-downloads involving URL:Mal can install various types of spyware without your permission. Popular payloads include Trojan downloaders, multicomponent rootkits and (for Europe in particular) police ransomware. However, there aren't any strict limits to what kinds of PC threats can be installed by exploits through URL:Mal. Any suspected contact with URL:Mal always should be followed up with an anti-malware analysis of your PC by appropriate software.

All the Little Things in URL:Mal's Bag of Tricks

Drive-by-download exploits may be the primary threat from URL:Mal, but URL:Mal can also be used for other attacks. SpywareRemove.com malware experts have listed some of the most common attacks involved with malicious websites:

  • Social engineering attacks. URL:Mal may display fake updates for Flash, Java, your web browser or your favorite movie player. Alternately, URL:Mal may pretend to scan your computer and then alert you to fake infections that seemingly can be deleted by downloading a rogue anti-malware program. In either case, these attacks attempt to get victims to download and install malicious software of their own accord.
  • Phishing attacks. These are highly-linked to social engineering techniques, although they don't encourage you to download malware. Instead, phishing attacks try to steal personal information. This attack may be displayed as a survey or prize-winning form. Some very sophisticated phishing attacks will inject malicious content into a normal web page as they make requests for additional information (for example, by pretending to be a new security measure from your bank).

With anti-malware protection at your service, you shouldn't need to respond to URL:Mal in any way other than refusing to visit any sites that display this alert before they load. In rare cases of URL:Mal being linked directly to infections on your computer, SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend using anti-malware products to resolve the issue reliably.

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