What Is cm.netseer.com? Google Chrome Warns of ‘Malware Ahead’

Hundreds of popular sites around the internet have been rendered unreachable today (Monday February 4) by users of Google's Chrome browser because the browser claims the site is hosting maleware from cm.netseer.com.  So what's the deal?

NetSeer (Twitter: @NetSeer) is a company that delivers ads to websites across the internet. Lite987.com is one of the sites that experienced the block.  According to the San Jose Mercury News:

sites such as The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and many others were being blocked by Google's Chrome browser with warnings about possible malware -- malicious software that could infect a user's computer -- emanating from Netseer.

"Content from cm.netseer.com, a known malware distributor, has been inserted into this web page. Visiting this page now is very likely to infect your computer with malware," a Chrome message said Monday morning when a user attempted to visit www.mercurynews.com.

Netseer, a Santa Clara-based startup founded in 2006 that helps target ads based on content offered by the website, suffered a hacking attack on its website, but said Monday that it was not actively issuing malware-infected ads.

 

All indications are that the site is clear of malware.  One suggested fix if you're still seeing the warning is to clear your browser cache.

In depth malware story from the San Jose Mercury News