Malware ahead

[Route21]

It looks like it's a Chrome problem.
I could but don't use Chrome on my Android.
Is there, in the Chrome settings, an option, similar to my AVG AntiVirus, that says: "treat Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP's) as malware"?
"Intrusive applications" that request more permissions than the minimum they need to function correctly could be regarded as PUP's.
I've turned my PUP-checker off, as I specifically check the permissions that new apps want me to offer them to minimise the use of intrusive apps.
That having been said, if you are not a accessing UE via a downloaded application, other than Chrome itself, I can't see what's causing the Chrome error message.

Regards
R21

[iannou]

If I understand correctly, Google Chrome itself is not detecting malware on the site. It's a web browser, not a malware program per se. Google has visited the site with some kind of web crawler and detected something untoward (it's detailed in the diagnostic page which you can view by clicking "Advanced" on the warning page.) They have flagged the website (through DNS?) and the warning page will pop up when Chrome users try to visit.

That my anti-virus/malware is not giving me alerts on my PC is some comfort, but that may simply be that I haven't visited an infected page on the site. And I believe the site consists of more than 8000 pages.

Chrome has about 16% of the browser market now, so I think this is a pretty serious issue. However the flags were set, and whether or not there is currently any malware issue with UE's servers, this has got to be hurting traffic. I don't know where UE's revenue comes from, but a drop in traffic can't be good for anyone. Obviously, a lot of people have chosen to ignore the warning flags, but who knows how many have simply stopped visiting the site?

I can't remember getting a similar warning about another website. I tend to take Google's word on this. I don't think they're infallible, but I trust Google as an internet authority. I imagine a lot of other Chrome users do as well.

I have no experience in running a website, but I would be making it my priority to get a clean bill of health from Google and to get the warning flags removed. I have absolutely no idea how to go about doing this, however.

Please don't take this as ingratitude or bitchiness on my part. I appreciate the work of those who operate this site (doing work that I only vaguely understand), and my only interest is in seeing this problem go away.

[5jj]

I normally come into the forum by clicking on a little thingy that I somehow managed to park at the top of my screen. When I came in that way this morning, I was disappointed to find the attack warning still in place.

Then I though that perhaps there might be something wrong with my thingy, so I went away, and typed http://www.usingenglish.com/forum in, clicked, and came in. No warning. Then I searched for UE in google, clicked on the link provided and came in. No warning. Finally I tried coming in through my thingy again. There was the alarming warning page.

Clearly my thingy had got frozen at the attack warning stage. I deleted it, created a new one and came in again. Germolino! I am now, fingers crossed, free of the attack warning.

ps. Apologies for my lack of technical vocabulary. My offspring are amazed that I even own a computer. They were awe-struck when I managed to switch it on for the first time (at the fifth attempt, I have to say).

[Esgaleth]

I could not get into the forum through Google search - there was not even a button to click on to ignore the warning. :(

[iannou]

I could not get into the forum through Google search - there was not even a button to click on to ignore the warning. :(

You can click "Advanced" and then choose "Proceed at your own risk."

[Tdol]

I have no experience in running a website, but I would be making it my priority to get a clean bill of health from Google and to get the warning flags removed. I have absolutely no idea how to go about doing this, however.

We are working on this and sending lots of emails on the subject, but it's not easy to get the clean bill of health even when you're clean.

[5jj]

I came in one minute ago. The attack warning is back.

[Esgaleth]

You can click "Advanced" and then choose "Proceed at your own risk."

I may be missing something but that's the warning I got - no 'Proceed at your risk' options as far as I can understand English.
Attachment 1511

[iannou]

We are working on this and sending lots of emails on the subject, but it's not easy to get the clean bill of health even when you're clean.

Thanks for the update, and thanks for your efforts.

[Red5]

It looks like we may have cleared up the issue now and got the warnings removed.