No one ever said that running a porn site would be a slice of cheesecake; in fact, it's downright hard. Recently, a number of popular adult-entertainment portals have rubbed up against a troubling new trend: malvertising. This process of caching malware within ads doesn't even require users to click, and does a handy job of infecting users' PCs without alerting them. Some of the Web's most popular pornography venues have been penetrated by this mounting trend, but a good antimalware program can function as a prophylactic measure.
Jérôme Segura of the San Jose, California-based security firm Malwarebytes first reported on the issue on Unpacked, the official company blog. A piece of Flash-based malware has infected the AdXpansion network, and can exploit PCs in a variety of ways, but mostly through installing unwanted programs that compromise computer security. Sites that make use of AdXpansion include Drtuber, Nuvid, Hardsextube, Justporno, Alphaporno, and Eroprofile, among others.
MORE: What Is Malvertising? How to Protect Yourself
Appropriately enough, the exploit comes via an ad for male enhancement pills. If a user sees the ad, it means that the Flash-based malware has likely attempted installation on a user's computer.
There is some good news: Most antimalware programs, including that from Malwarebytes, can stop this in its tracks, as it's not a sophisticated exploit. Furthermore, the exploit targets only outdated versions of Flash. As long as you have Adobe Flash Player 17.0.0.134 or newer installed, you need not worry about this particular intrusion compromising your, um, viewing experience.
Malwarebytes got in touch with AdXpansion about the ad in question, and the ad network has already pulled the offending malvertisement. This doesn't necessarily mean that every ad from AdXpansion is now safe, but the one Malwarebytes detected is now gone.
In the meantime, you can stay safe on porn sites the same way you stay safe during sex: by using protection. Get an antivirus program; even a free one will block simple hijack attempts like this one. Keep your plugins up-to-date and, as always, abstinence is the only 100-percent safe method of avoiding unforeseen consequences.
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Marshall Honorof is a senior writer for Tom's Guide. Contact him at mhonorof@tomsguide.com. Follow him @marshallhonorof. Follow us @tomsguide, on Facebook and on Google+.
