Malvertising is when attackers hide malicious code inside online ads. You don’t have to click a sketchy site - a booby-trapped ad on a legit page can redirect, phish, or install malware through drive-by downloads and pop-ups.
Compromised ad networks serve malicious creatives to reputable sites
Hidden code redirects you to exploit pages or fake updates
Fingerprinting picks targets and avoids security sandboxes
Payloads include spyware, ransomware, and credential stealers
Pop-ups asking to install updates or enable notifications
Pages that reopen themselves or trigger multiple redirects
Downloads starting without you clicking a clear button
Security prompts that look slightly off-brand
Close the tab or kill the browser process - don’t click prompts.
Run a full anti-malware scan, reboot, then scan again.
Clear browser cache and notifications, remove unknown extensions.
From a clean device, change passwords and enable MFA if anything seemed phishy.
Keep the browser, plugins, and OS updated.
Use a reputable ad blocker and DNS/web filtering.
Disable or limit browser plug-ins like legacy players.
Avoid pirated streams and shady download portals.
For orgs: enable network-layer protections and inspect egress traffic.