Adware/malware in Safari?

March 17, 2015 12:52 PM

I was informed by the CIO that an email that I sent out of OWA from Safari, OSX Mavericks had dodgy source code attached. See a text file of source code.

I never thought I would have this problem! Anyway, here are the symptoms:

* email takes forever to load for receiver
* replicated the issue with safari, osx but not with other browsers or OS, nor other hardware
* I am updated on browser and operating system
* The ONLY extensions I had on Safari were WOT, Adware Blocker, DevonThink, 1Password

I have done the following:
* Apple Support Adware Removal Process (no folders found)
*Adware Medic
* Disabled all extensions in Safari

Hardware: macbook pro, i7

Halp! I am asymptomatic carrier of disease?!

posted by jadepearl to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

I've looked at the code, and it appears that Safari is including a bunch of styles on your email related to hiding ads.

Probably a result of your using Adware Blocker.

I can't guarantee it's not something else (there's a LOT of code there to look at!), but the huge block at the beginning of the code seems to just be vanilla CSS that is targeted at hiding ad-related things. Since it's such a crazy-long, kind of un-parsable block of code, it's no wonder your CIO flagged it as spammy.

I would try to disable your Adware Blocker, then send another message from OWA. That may fix your issue.
posted by kellygrape at 1:01 PM on March 17, 2015 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I think that is this (or this)?
posted by gregjones at 1:01 PM on March 17, 2015 [2 favorites]

I agree with gregjones about the problem.
Incidentally the linked file appears to contain an actual work email message. If that's real data you may not want to share it here.
posted by w0mbat at 1:09 PM on March 17, 2015

Response by poster: Here is the updated link to the text file: dodgy email text file. and has been corrected in original link.
posted by jadepearl at 1:10 PM on March 17, 2015

Response by poster: For future users, it is indeed Adblock. Here is the discussion from Apple Forums. This does not happen with Firefox or Chrome, just Safari. I was freaking out about my machine's security. Thanks, all!
posted by jadepearl at 1:22 PM on March 17, 2015

Can you whitelist your OWA in Adblock?
posted by cjorgensen at 6:33 AM on March 18, 2015