Remove Secret-video.online (Virus Removal Guide)

Secret-video.online is a push notification virus that directs users to phishing sites

Secret-video.online

Secret-video.online is one of many domains that abuses a legitimate “Allow notifications” feature in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, MS Edge, Opera, Internet Explorer, and other browsers. As soon as users land on the site, they are prompted to allow notifications to be shown and are usually promised an underlying content after doing so. However, as soon as the “Allow” button is pressed, users are not presented with anything, but instead, they start seeing Secret-video.online pop-ups that are shown directly on their screens regularly.

These Secret-video.online advertisements are usually filled with dangerous content, as, if malicious links are clicked, users are redirected to get-rich-quick,^[1] tech support, and other types of scams. In some cases, users might even be exposed to hacked or malicious sites that use background scripts to abuse browser vulnerabilities^[2] and install malware automatically. As a result, victims may lose their money, get infected with malware, or expose their sensitive information to criminals. The good news is that Secret-video.online removal can usually be performed by tweaking web browser settings – we explain how below.

Name	Secret-video.online
Type	Push notification virus, adware
Infiltration	Desktop notifications are visible as soon as users press the “Allow” button after landing on the site; redirects to this and other sites might implicate adware infection, and PUPs are usually delivered via software bundle packages
Symptoms	Suspicious messages with embedded links show up on the screen regularly; increased amount of ads on all visited websites; slowdown of the web browser; redirects leading to various scam and phishing sites, etc.
Dangers	Personal/sensitive information disclosure to cybercriminals, monetary loss due to frequently encountered scams, malware infections
Termination	There are two different aspects to Secret-video.online – it either means that you subscribed to the notifications by pressing “Allow,” or your system might be infected with adware, which is redirecting you to insecure sites. To get rid of pop-up ads, you will have to access settings section of your browser; to uninstall adware, you should scan your machine with anti-malware software or follow the manual removal guide below
Recovery & optimization	Adware or malware can cause significant damage to the operating systems. Thus, if you are experiencing computer slowdowns, crashes, errors, and similar issues, you should apply Fortect Intego to fix them

The secret-video.online virus is called so due to its persistence and erratic behavior, as most of the time, users are unaware that they subscribed for these notifications to be shown, and they do not know how to stop the intrusive behavior. The worst part is that some might get tricked by various scam messages and visit promoted sites.

Cybercriminals behind Secret-video.online scam use social engineering in order to make users subscribe to these notifications – even the name of the domain implies that there is some secret video to be looked at. As soon as users land on the malicious page, they are shown a fake short message that urges to allow notifications. Various techniques are used; for example, the famous “Click here if you are not a robot” prompt, or “Tap allow if you are 18+” are exceptionally common.

Another Secret-video.online pop-up might accompany the regular notification prompt – it says:

Secret-video.online says

CLICK ALLOW TO CLOSE THIS PAGE

In other words, the sole reason of Secret-video.online existence is to make sure that visitors allow notifications and, while those who fall for the trick are likely not to know how to stop the unwanted ads, it benefits the attackers financially (each click made on links results in ad revenue). Those who click “Allow” will soon notice that there is no video to be shown, and there is no other underlying content to be uncovered.

Unfortunately, but there also might be another reason why you see Secret-video.online redirects in the first place, and it is adware. These potentially unwanted programs are usually distributed by using deceptive practices (e.g., software bundles or fake updates) and have the purpose of displaying pop-ups, banners, deals, offers, coupons, and redirect users to predetermined domains, such like Secret-video.online.

Secret-video.online virus

It is also worth noting that adware that prompts Secret-video.online redirects most certainly collects a variety of information about users, including:

IP address;
Internet Service Provider;
Geolocation;
Browser used and extensions installed;
Technical data of the device;
Sites visited, search terms, links clicked, and other browsing-related data.

There are several ways to remove Secret-video.online ads and redirects, although it depends on whether your machine is infected with adware. If the latter is true, you will have to terminate the PUP either manually or automatically and reset the installed browsers. For best results, experts^[3] also recommend scanning the machine with Fortect Intego.

Learn to spot online scams and watch out for software bundles

Online scams are very prevalent, and users may encounter them regularly – it depends on sites that they visit. For example, domains that distribute pirated software or those that offer suspicious licensed TV series/sports streaming services are extremely likely to include background scripts or links that lead to malicious sites. The “Click here to allow” domains are very common, as the feature was rolled out relatively recently, and many still don't know how to get rid of the notifications from a particular site once subscribed.

Luckily, Mozilla Firefox already terminated (Google is soon to follow) the annoying pop-ups that ask to show notifications on all sites, and they can only be visible if clicked on the URL bar. This reduces the chances of inexperienced users falling for the trick and malicious actors abusing the feature to insert advertisements into users' desktops.

Additionally, adware infections might also be the reason why redirects to push notification virus sites occur in the first place. Potentially unwanted programs are usually distributed via freeware acquired on third-party websites, where several apps are compiled into a single installer. Quite often, these optional components are not adequately present to users, and mostly hidden from sight via pre-ticked boxes, fine print, or the Recommended/Quick settings. Thus, always install software carefully, read the instructions on each step, and opt for Advanced/Custom mode when prompted.

Get rid of Secret-video.online virus

As previously mentioned, Secret-video.online removal depends on various factors, including whether you subscribed to unwanted notifications or not. Furthermore, there might be an adware app be installed on your system you are not aware of or, if you clicked on malicious links and installed something, there might be something more sinister hiding on your computer – Trojan, backdoor, a virus, or other malware.

As a first step to remove Secret-video.online virus, we suggest you try to access web browser settings and stop notifications you subscribed to before. Here's how:

Google Chrome

Click on Menu and select Settings
Go for Advanced
Under Privacy and security, pick Site Settings
Click on Notifications
You should see Secret-video.online in the Allow section
Select More Actions and click Block

Mozilla Firefox:

Go to Menu and select Options
Choose Privacy & Security > Notifications
Go to Settings and find the Secret-video.online
Click on the the drop-down menu and select Block
Pick Save Changes

MS Edge:

Click More and choose Settings
Pick View advanced settings > Advanced
Go to Manage permissions
Locate Secret-video.online and turn off notifications

If the redirects to Secret-video.online and other suspicious sites are caused by malware, you can refer to the instructions below – check all the installed programs and uninstall all the suspicious ones. If you are struggling to do so manually, you can employ anti-malware software to do the job for you, although not all security apps will detect all PUPs. Once you are sure that your computer is clean, you should also reset the installed browsers to ensure no advertisements come back. Note that resetting browsers would also stop the Secret-video.online push notifications.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Remove the unwanted program:

In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:

Select Go > Go to Folder.
Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
Pick Manage Add-ons.
You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:

Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
Select Internet Options.
In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:

Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
Under Browsing history, click Delete...
Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:

Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
Select Reset.
In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
Click Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:

Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
Then find On startup section.
Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
Select Details tab.
Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and site data:

Click on Menu and go to Settings.
Select Privacy, search and services.
Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
Under Time range, pick All time.
Select Clear now.

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

Click on Menu and select Settings.
On the left side, pick Reset settings.
Select Restore settings to their default values.
Confirm with Reset.
This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
Select Add-ons.
In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:

Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
Choose Settings.
Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

Click Menu and pick Settings.
Go to Privacy & Security section.
Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
Click on Clear Data...
Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

Click on Menu and pick Settings.
Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
Click Clear data.

Change your homepage:

Click menu and choose Settings.
Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

Click on Menu and select Settings.
In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
Confirm with Reset settings.

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.

Clear history and website data:

Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

Reset Safari:

Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

How to remove Secret-video.online

Secret-video.online is a push notification virus that directs users to phishing sites

Learn to spot online scams and watch out for software bundles