Many Chrome users reported on twitter, Google product forums and on reddit that while they’re browsing certain sites they’ve suddenly seen a new window opened labelled with Urgent Chrome Update having download now button (definite scam, don’t click on the download button or any ware in that window) and immediately a batch file was downloaded to computer with name Chrome-update, be aware! This can happen to you.
Urgent Chrome Update adware popup
If you’re experienced this do the following things
- Don’t open the chrome-update.bat file, delete it immediately if downloaded.
- Exit Chrome browser.
- Perform a scan with Malwarebytes and antivirus
- Run Chrome cleanup tool (don’t hesitate to reset settings) and adwcleaner.
- Check your extensions and observe Chrome browser behavior, if it behaves suspiciously like malware, reset browser.
- I suggest you to visit Chrome settings > advanced Settings, under Downloads, check ‘Ask where to save each file before downloading’, so you know what files are downloaded and they won’t be saved to your computer from Chrome browser without your consent.
We’re expecting an official reply from a Google employee on this in this thread.
I think you mean to say that the “Ask where to save each file before downloading” should be checked, not unchecked. Unchecking it means that the file will just download wherever without asking first.
Yes, already corrected, thanks.
“I suggest you to visit Chrome settings > advanced Settings, under Downloads, **uncheck** ‘Ask where to save each file before downloading’, so you know what files are downloaded and they won’t be saved to your computer from Chrome browser without your consent.”
Shouldn’t it be “check”?
Yes, article was already updated.
I’ve gotten this on other browsers. Just today I’ve gotten it on Firefox and Avant. I’m on Internet Explorer now. Or was on it, I just closed it. Does anybody know who to fix Internet Explorer so it asks you were you want to download to?
Interesting this article is about Fake update has been targeted at Chrome users! What the popup in other browsers you’ve got?Do you’ve a screenshot or do you know the message in that popup? Share with us.
Have you performed scan with antivirus and malwarebytes after that? With Internet explorer default behavior you’re protected, for every file you download, IE prompts at the bottom to run, save or Cacel, you can just click on Cancel button to prevent download of malicious files. http://imgur.com/a/f5FU6
You can also see this in Downloads window also (Ctrl+J) if you’ve not taken any action. I suggest you to turn on enhanced Protected mode for IE under Security of Advanced Options for more protection .
what is a good free malaware protection program? ik this may be a little off topic sorry.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free
In your article you suggested we download adwcleaner. Now you say Malwarebytes. Make up your mind.
Malwarebytes is anti-malware and while adwcleaner is good at finding adware. You can run one after one, no harm will be done to your computer, its for checking that if one misses other gets caught.
My question is why didn’t malwarebytes pick it up
Are you using Malwarebytes premium, which has realtime protection and website protection turned on, if thats the case its strange for us why it has not detected fake update page and not removed the batch files also. May be this could be new to MBAM as well, so it can’t detect.
Well My Malware bytes didnt pick it up either and the weird thing is i was on skype the other night with a friend and she got the same pop up secs after i did and her malware bytes (free version) picked it up right away. By the way This may not have anything to do with it but I’ve got this fake urgent update while playing Farmville 2. no where else. just got it for the 4 th time a few mins ago. and get this not just the page comes up it pops up a destination box. so i closed out both and rebooted pc
I got this as well and malware bytes premium and avg premium did not pick it up.chrome fixer didn’t find anything either
I just got the popup. Luckily, chrome blocked it. I knew it was suspicious by how it immediately downloaded without my consent. xD Really scared me.
I’m not selling Webroot, but when I get this, WR notifies me at the bottom left of the browser to dismiss. I’ve seen it enough now to just close my browser.
Yes, it’s hitting several popular sites now. I am surprised it has not been in mainstream media reporting? I have yet to have anything detect it and stop it from downloading. Of course anyone who thinks about this knows Chrome updates in the background and doesn’t provide any kind of notification of updating.
It does show notification when the update was downloaded and you haven’t relaunched browser for a while, this is what I am talking about:https://techdows.com/2015/01/google-chrome-is-out-of-date-because-it-hasnt-been-relaunched-in-a-while.html. Though the popup we’re talking about is indeed exhibited malicious behavior by downloading batch file. Malware hasn’t outsmarted the user here, since user knows Chrome update mechanism.
my Bitdefender said it detected/stopped the download when this screen first came up. however… since then, i’ve seen it come up another dozen times (past two weeks). i knew it wasn’t a good thing from day one and never hit “download”. ran Cleaner and a full Bitdefender scan right afterwords. nothing was found. so even when it’s detected and *supposedly* not downloaded, it still finds it’s way in?. just ran yet another full scan and nothing came up. very puzzeling and more importenly….how do i/we get make it go away?. (Windows 10 using Chrome)
Since this is triggering from most sites, We just can’t prevent things from happening, we need to follow good practices to avoid install of malware.
Will the file download if I don’t click anywhere on the page?
That’s what being reported so far, its being downloaded automatically without user action.
Very Odd… Was reading my YAHOO EMAILS when it suddenly took over the page – no downloads, nothing clicked on today-
Same for me tonight. Playing Farmville 2 on Firefox, came up urgent update did nothing but close it. Checked downloads folder and it was there already downloaded. Did Avast malware scan detected nothing. About to download malaware bytes.
What would it say in the download folder? Every time I got the pop up I just closed out.
so I have a notification that I can’t seem to get rid of, and I don’t know exactly when it came. It says “device Google security patch tap more to learn and install” is this legit or not? Thanks in advance, all you tech savvy people and other Android users!
Has anyone had any luck stopping this? I am using Windows 10 with Chrome and will receive the “URGENT UPDATE” no matter the site I visit. I happens every few days.
My anti-virus software (AVG) and Malwarebytes have yet to find anything when I do scans.
Suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Do we have any official updates from Google about this? This is still popping up on occasion. I’ve never been able to locate the downloaded file nor has my AV found anything when I run it.
How can Google remain silent about this when it seems to be affecting so many people and for continuing to occur for so long? If I don’t see any effort from Google to correct this soon, I might switch default browsers.
Because its uncertain from which site users are getting these popups and there is a chance of ads serving on legitimate websites could trigger this when you visit.
Do you guys know what actually happens when someone executes the java script? Apparently some java code is being executed but there is no trace on the computer… at least Norton and superantispyware professional does not report anything.
What is being done to the computer?
We don’t know. Its better to not open such files to avoid damage to computer.
I just got this popup today after visiting Tumblr. Does anyone know when this will be resolved?
It’s making its rounds against — today, November 30, 2016.
I’ve been getting the Urgent Chrome Update for awhile now, and decided to buy MalwareBytes to finally get rid of it. It detected parts of 60 files from programs I’d deleted a year ago. I let it quarantine and reboot my system. Figured I was clear. The next day Urgent Chrome Update is still popping up, and MalwareBytes found zero files on a full scan. I don’t want to keep buying more programs, and other people are saying their other anti-viruses failed too. (On Chrome’s message board) What do I do?
Perhaps the malware MBAM may not be related to urgent update, it could be some other. Its good you got rid of malware. Stay up-to-date and perform scan with malwarebytes regularly and don’t open files downloaded from websites without your knowledge.
I bought a brand new Dell XPS today, installed Chrome, and have started to experience the “Urgent Chrome Update” issue repeatedly. I did a factory reset, installed Chrome again, and the problem came back immediately. I’m willing to move to another browser but I’m not sure if this is specific to Chrome. Does anyone know if other browsers are affected by this issue.
Has anyone tried uninstalling Chrome and reinstalling it?
I don’t think that needed. It has nothing to do with the browser but the malicious ads in websites you’re visiting could be triggerring the download.
Perhaps it places something in the computer system that is running so it cannot be detected. Check files running at start up to see if something new has been added and disable it. Rerun Malwarebytes. Might have to use tdsskiller or rkill to stop an inbedded system file. Google for more information.
I feel for it and now all of my files are encrypted on my Surface Pro. I have windows 10 and I did a reset which is currently in progress that I am hoping will help fix it. I could not Uninstall it and received a message stating I did not have permissions when I tried to Uninstall it. I had most of my files saved on a flash drive or in an email and the ones I didn’t have backed up were not that important I suppose. I did lose pics too. I really hope resetting my surface pro helps fix the problem! If anyone has any tips for to recover my pc and files please let me know.