BigDater.me virus removal from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE

BigDater.me is part of a large-scale adware hoax causing popup ads and browser redirects, so the underlying infection should be obliterated immediately.

1. What is the BigDater.me virus?
2. Automated removal of BigDater.me virus
3. Restore web browser settings to their original defaults

What is the BigDater.me virus?

Websites asking visitors to allow notifications are the norm many people are comfortable with. Ideally, this type of request plays into the hands of both webmasters and those users who want to stay tuned for updates from a specific source. Driven by the web push notifications technology, this is also a powerful e-marketing instrument. If a person opts for such an offer from a specific web page once, they will be henceforth getting popups (possibly outside the main browser window) about new stuff that the service has in store for its audience. As is the case with pretty much any benign tech, cybercrooks have found a way to mishandle this one and turn it into an instrument for achieving shady goals. The BigDater.me virus demonstrates this form of abuse. If infected, computer and mobile users are constantly redirected to the apropos site that triggers a popup dialog saying, “Will you allow bigdater.me to send notifications?” or “BigDater.me wants to show notifications”.

The rogue page can be heterogeneous in terms of its design, depending on the URL extension following the domain name proper. It can mimic a commonplace human verification form or a streaming video service. Either way, the unsuspecting user is instructed to click the Allow button so that the main content becomes available. However, what happens if the would-be victim agrees to permit notifications is something less innocuous than what’s claimed. Having obtained the coveted privileges by dishonest means, BigDater.me will invoke a whole new level of malvertising. The user will be trapped between browser ads and annoying web push notifications splashing up on their computer’s desktop or mobile device’s home screen. The former usually assume the shape of in-text links, and banner-like sections with coupons, freebies, price comparisons, and similar deals in them. The latter can be even more noxious, interrupting the user experience through advertisements even when the browser is closed.

Another drag about BigDater.me is that it can reroute the victim’s web traffic to various junk sites, including online gambling pages and counterfeit search engines that lead to resources promoting malware downloads or questionably safe ecommerce places run by con artists. In some cases, the resulting sites push tech support scams that try to fool the users into believing their systems are at risk due to severe viruses. The common objective of these frauds is to convince people to call a pseudo technician who will purportedly sort things out for a fee. The redirect facet of the browsing mutilation activity stems from a dubious add-on installed without the user’s knowledge and consent. The unwanted extension or plugin may even override the original web preferences, such as the homepage, new tab page, and default search provider, and insert an entirely different value instead. Sometimes the redirects occur randomly, which is a sign of obfuscated scripts being launched in the background.

To add insult to injury, BigDater.me virus eavesdrops on its victims. In particular, it identifies system configuration info along with the IP address while additionally collecting the browsing history and search requests entered by the user. The operators of this malvertising ruse can get hold of these details by accessing the campaign’s C2 server that receives the sensitive data harvested across all the numerous infection instances. Obviously, such a harsh encroachment on privacy, combined with the nuisance effects mentioned above, is a reason strong enough to get rid of BigDater.me threat right away.

Automated removal of BigDater.me virus

Owing to an up-to-date database of malware signatures and intelligent behavioral detection, the recommended software can quickly locate the infection, eradicate it and remediate all harmful changes. So go ahead and do the following:

1. Download and install the antimalware tool. Open the solution and have it check your PC for PUPs and other types of malicious software by clicking the Start Computer Scan button

Download BigDater.me remover

2. Rest assured the scan report will list all items that may harm your operating system. Select the detected entries and click Fix Threats to get the troubleshooting completed.

Use Control Panel to get rid of the BigDater.me virus

• Open up the Control Panel from your Start menu in Windows. Open up the Control Panel from your Start menu in Windows. Depending on the OS build, select Uninstall a program (Windows 10, 7 and Vista) or Add or Remove Programs (Windows 8)
  
• To facilitate the process of locating the threat, sort the programs list by date to get the latest ones displayed at the very top. Find an unfamiliar, suspicious entry under the Name column, click Uninstall and follow further directions to get the removal done

BigDater.me redirect removal for Android

Here’s a walkthrough to sort out the BigDater.me malware issue on an Android device, which might be a target in this malvertising campaign. Keep in mind, though, that uninstall attempts in regular mode may be futile due to the mechanics of this persistent infection. Therefore, you need to perform the procedure in safe mode. Go ahead and do the following:

• Press and hold the Power button. Then, tap and hold the Power off option on the screen. Doing so will boot your device into safe mode.

• Android will ask you to confirm that you’d like to enter safe mode. Tap OK on the dialog.

• You will now see the Safe mode inscription at the bottom left of your screen. Go to Settings and choose Apps.

• Scroll down the list of applications, focusing on the ones that were installed recently. Find BigDater or a sketchy entry with a different name that could as well be the culprit.

• Select the misbehaving app and tap Uninstall.

• Confirm removal on the relevant dialog box and reboot your device. By default, Android will get you back into regular mode. You should now be good to go – the BigDater.me virus won’t be triggering any redirects or irritating popups anymore.

Restore web browser settings to their original defaults

In the circumstances of a complex browser hijack like this, executing a reset makes the most sense despite a few obvious downsides. Customizations such as saved passwords, bookmarked pages etc. will be gone, but so will all the changes made by the potentially unwanted program. The instructions below address the workflow for the web browsers most targeted by the BigDater.me popup virus.

Reset Google Chrome

• Open Chrome, click the icon for Chrome menu and choose Settings

• Scroll down the settings screen and click Show advanced settings

• Click Reset settings

• Finally, confirm the restoration by clicking Reset on the warning message

• Restart Chrome.

Reset Mozilla Firefox

• Open Firefox, type about:support in the URL area and press Enter

• On the Troubleshooting Information screen, spot the Refresh Firefox button and click on it

• Follow subsequent directions to reset Firefox to its original settings

• Restart the browser.

Reset Internet Explorer

• Select Internet options under IE’s Tools (Alt+X)

• Proceed by clicking on Advanced tab, then select Reset

• To confirm the intended changes, click Reset on the Reset Internet Explorer Settings screen after ascertaining that the Delete personal settings checkbox is enabled

• Reboot the machine to fully implement the fix.

Reset Safari

• Go to the Safari menu and select Preferences

• When on the Preferences screen, select the Privacy tab and hit the Remove All Website Data button if you are up to erasing all website data stored on your Mac. Otherwise, you can use a site-specific removal option described below

• A dialog will appear, asking you to validate your choice. Click the Remove Now button if you are sure. Be advised this will log you out of online services and undo personalized web browser settings such as saved passwords, etc.

• Safari also allows deleting data for specific sites rather than all sites in general. To use this option, click the Details button under Privacy tab

• Select the websites for which you would like to erase data and click the Remove button

• Click the Done button to confirm and exit. You can also select the Remove All option to remove all data stored by the listed websites.

Revise your security status

Post-factum assessment of the accuracy component in malware removal scenarios is a great habit that prevents the comeback of harmful code or replication of its unattended fractions. Make sure you are good to go by running an additional safety checkup.

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