Spotify Free (ads) causes browser to launch on malware / virus websites

[tonyonly]

There's something pretty alarming going on right now with Spotify Free. This started a several hours ago. If you have Spotify Free open, it will launch - and keep on launching - the default internet browser on the computer to different kinds of malware / virus sites. Some of them do not even require user action to be able to cause harm.

I have 3 different systems (computers) which are all clean and they are all doing this, all via Spotify - I am thinking it's the Ads in Spotify Free. I hope this has been noticed and Spotify staff are fixing it - fast. But it's still puzzling something like this can actually happen.

From what I have read so far I have understood this issue has been happening with Spotify Free before. Nevertheless, it's really dangerous for users and amazing how it has not been fixed. These malware launches probably happen during showing certain ads but malware / virus sites have nothing to do with the advertisers. Tells how big of a problem it seems to be (hacked server, spotify admin accounts etc)...

[luhlibeatzz]

This might sound a bit weird, but like, everytime i have my Desktop version (Windows 10) of Spotify running, an Ad opens in a new tab in my Chrome browser.

Now i know what you're propably thinking, but I'm very certain i don't have a virus, seeing as i ran some anti virus programs and even tried to clean my PC with CCleaner.

After I close an Ad, it takes like 10 minutes to pop out a new one in my browser.

Like, I'm very sure it's Spotifys doing, because it's only happening while its running on my Desktop. And it's just weird, I couldn't find anything on the internet with association to this particular subject.

Am I the only one having this issue? Is there some way to shut it off? 

[eetuholopainen]

Same, i had this a couple of hours ago. 

[OssiKultalahti]

Having the same problem here, had a premium but when it ended the pop-under advertising tabs started

[hasizz]

Same, it has been happening for two days now (Spotify Free, OSx Sierra, Finland)

[dvbt]

Same here. Just reinstalled my OS. Roughly every 10 minutes I get a new tab on my browser with an advertisement.

[Mara_F]

Hey guys, that's super odd. 

Can you let us know the following: 

1. What Spotify/OS version are you rocking? 
2. Is this happening with a specific ad?
3. Any videos or screenshots would be super helpful.
4. Have you tried reinstalling/logging out? Does that help?
5. Did it start happening after a specific event? 

We'll see what we can suggest,

Take care.

[luhlibeatzz]

1. Windows 10 64-bit

2. No, it depends, but e. g. there sometimes is an ad which supposedly acts like my internet provider to execute an act of 'Phishing'

5. The only thing really specific that was happening was that my premium membership ended like two weeks before this started, so I don't know if this has anything to do with it

Now it seems as though this occurance stopped as of today, but I still wanted to include this information to maybe help others who are still suffering from this flaw.

Greetings!

[OssiKultalahti]

Newest spotify version(cant check right now), win 10 anniversary edition, i
have tried reinstall and logging out but no results and it started after my
premium ran out few days ago. Heres an old pic about it, just random ads

[eetuholopainen]

1. Windows 10 64-bit.

2. Nothing in special, but I suppose they are "phishing" sites of some sort. My free version of Avast-antivirus hasn't picked up anything in scans though.

3. None.

4. I re-installed, but it has happened again after that.

5. It started earlier this week. I think it has something to do with the ads spotify regularly plays, because I had a similiar issue with spotify ads playing a strange voice scam advertisement on the background a month ago, so my guess would be that some of the ads spotify shows might execute something through the spotify app to open tabs in my browser.

Also other people had reported that it started after their premium subscription ended, which would also suggest to ads being the origin of the problem.

[illoria]

Had the same problem, ads poping up in chrome at random when spotify is running, sometime doesn't happen for hours, sometimes pop about every 3rd minute. I've searched my computer with 5 different anti-virus tools, no results. I analyzed the popup URL that I got redirected to and it has a lot of parameters including Spotify, I am guessing one of the ads in Spotify have injected some kind of script in itself to open these ads in peoples browsers or simular, if it is to any help I'll link the URL that this ad redirects you to here:

http://b.yu0123456.com/newServing/links.php?zone=0&chad=1&adu=2&cs=&adtype=1&nid=1&sid=630353&pid=37...