Remove URL:Mal (Removal Guide)

URL:Mal is a threat warning message, although adware authors can use such alerts to redirect online traffic

URL:Mal adware image

URL:Mal is a heuristic name of a possible threat that shows up on AVG and Avast scans or directly before accessing the suspicious site. This is a warning message that is displayed by various anti-virus engines but can indicate different issues. Typically, it pops up whenever users are about to visit a malicious website, and the security software blocks the entry. This is normal behavior, and users should not ignore it.

However, cybercriminals managed to utilize this alert and display it as a fake message in order to trick users into installing bogus software, redirecting their traffic to ad-supported sites, or retrieving personal information. The questionable rundll32.exe also is associated with this alert warning. This fact only raises more questions even though the executable is mainly reported as safe and legitimate. If you want to know more about what is URL:Mal and what causes those suspicious alerts, keep on reading this article.

Name	URL:Mal
Type	Adware
Purpose	To make users install fake software or expose their personal data
Main dangers	Malware infiltration, identity theft, stolen money from a bank account
Symptoms	Fake messages, redirects, pop-up ads, etc.
Distribution	Software bundling, dubious websites
Elimination	You can get rid of URL:Mal by using Fortect Intego or by checking our manual guide below

URL:Mal warnings started to spark suspicions when users noticed the alert is popping up whenever they visit a website which is entirely legitimate, like Amazon.com or Wikipedia.com – these sites do not display advertisement content, and neither they are harmful.

The malicious URL:Mal virus looks identical to the original alert message. In most cases, it starts showing up after the user falls for installing a malicious add-on, plugin or extension on his/her computer. It can also block you from entering your favorite websites, so there is a high risk that you can fall into believing that the pop-up message is real.

Similar alerts about errors or even threats appear on the browser due to the corruption of a file associated to URL:Mal – rundll32.exe, so these messages may be fake and the issue is this executable file. The best tip to know what is the reason for this behavior is to disable third-party antivirus tools and other applications and scan the system with one powerful anti-malware program that should indicate all possible threats and diagnose the corrupted executables.

The URL:Mal alert shows up with a similar warning:

We have safely aborted the [link] connection because it was infected by URL:Mal

URL:Mal virus

In most of the cases, URL:Mal fake alert is used to swindle the money away from unsuspecting users.^[1] However, it can also trick them into installing other PUPs, redirect to other suspicious websites or show fake surveys that are used for personal data harvesting.

Finally, the fake URL:Mal message can lead victims to domains that advise downloading and installing questionable software (usually scareware or bloatware). If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of URL:Mal warning message, make sure you ignore suggestions to download/install programs or their upgrades offered to you by them.

The particular URL:Mal alerts show up on many people' computers and browsers, as we can find on various forums and discussions online.^[2] These messages cause frustration because of many things:

pop-ups appear continuously;
alerts come up while visiting certain sites;
there is no particular threat that can be removed;
warnings show up on social media, Wikipedia, other safe and commonly visited pages.

Additionally, you should complete URL:Mal removal as soon as possible since these types of viruses could stealthily infiltrate other high-risk computer infections such as Trojan Horses, spyware, etc. According to the Virusi.hr^[3] experts, you should not try to eliminate these cyber threats by yourself. URL:Mal

Malware alerts indicating threats or messages appearing out of nowhere?

Generally, seeing such pop-up alerts means that your antivirus blocked a suspicious domain from opening on your browser. It may be caused by malicious page, ad-supported website or PUP-filled site.

However, this alert can also be caused by two different AV programs interacting with each other and causing such alerts to show up. It usually appears people have a few anti-malware or security tools and they cannot work properly due to the existence of the other one, so blocks various safe sites instead.

Another thing that may be the issue causing such messages about URL:Mal threat is potentially unwanted programs. This alert can be used by a cyber threat developer that attempts to trick users into accessing their sites, sponsor domains or even purchase promoted applications.

Besides the fake message, PUP is capable of the following:

installing additional software without users' knowledge;
modifying certain system settings to avoid elimination;
slowing down the computer;
disturbing web browsing activities by covering up contents with annoying ads.

If you think that you are infected with such adware, you can remove URL:Mal by scanning your computer with Fortect Intego. It will detect all potentially unwanted programs which cause false positive detection and eliminate the adware from your computer.

Unfortunately, there is no particular program that we could offer to remove and the associated file has a low detection rate^[4], but you should disable all your AV tools, choose one of many reliable anti-malware programs and then scan the machine fully. This way, your computer gets thoroughly checked and cleaned, so all the malicious programs get removed entirely.

URL:Mal malware

Potentially unwanted programs distributed in software bundles

The most common way of how the potentially unwanted program enters your system is software-bundling. Usually, people are unaware that once they download a free application, it can secretly install the additional one. This marketing strategy is widely used by the developers of PUPs^[5].

However, you can easily avoid adware programs if you pay attention during the download/installation procedure. Firstly, you should opt for Advanced or Custom settings during the process. They will reveal the previously selected checkmarks which allow installing the potentially unwanted program. Do not forget to de-select them.

Also, we recommend you to stay away from online ads. Once clicked, they might even help to infiltrate the adware or other high-risk computer infections. Therefore, use a robust anti-spyware software to protect your computer and valuable information stored on it.

The best way for URL:Mal removal – professional anti-malware tools

Since it might be hard to determine whether Avast URL:Mal warning is real, you should double-check your system using a professional security software. Scan your computer and make sure that the adware is not present on your PC. If it is compromising your computer, the antivirus tool will eliminate it.

Additionally, keep in mind that adware programs do not travel alone — its components might also damage your system. Therefore, it is vital to not only remove URL:Mal but its elements as well. For that, use one of the anti-malware tools from the list below.

If you want to complete URL:Mal removal manually, make sure to check the instructions below. They will help you to detect adware-related components and eliminate the hidden hazard.

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 URL:Mal

URL:Mal is a threat warning message, although adware authors can use such alerts to redirect online traffic

Malware alerts indicating threats or messages appearing out of nowhere?

Potentially unwanted programs distributed in software bundles