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How to stop the knaws.top website from displaying notifications (adverts)

Also Known As: Ads by knaws.top
Damage level: Medium

What kind of page is knaws[.]top?

Our researchers discovered the knaws[.]top rogue page while investigating questionable websites. This webpage promotes online scams and browser notification spam. It can also redirect users to different (likely dubious/malicious) sites.

Most visitors to knaws[.]top and similar pages access them through redirects generated by websites that use rogue advertising networks.

knaws[.]top pop-up redirects

Knaws[.]top overview

It must be mentioned that exactly how rogue sites operate (i.e., what they host/promote) might be dictated by the visitor's IP address/ geolocation.

At the time of research, knaws[.]top ran the "Avast - Your PC Is Infected With 5 Viruses!" scam. This deceptive content consists of a fake system scan that "detects" various threats on the visitor's device. It must be stressed that this scam is in no way associated with the Avast Antivirus or its developer – Avast Software s.r.o.

In most cases, scams of this kind are used to endorse untrustworthy or harmful software, e.g., fake anti-virus tools, adware, browser hijackers, PUAs, etc.

Additionally, knaws[.]top requested that the visitor enable its browser notification delivery. If allowed, the webpage will spam the user with advertisements promoting online scams, unreliable/hazardous software, and potential malware.

To summarize, through pages like knaws[.]top – users may experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:
Name Ads by knaws.top
Threat Type Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names Yandex Safebrowsing (Phishing), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address 172.67.135.102
Symptoms Seeing advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing. Intrusive pop-up ads. Decreased Internet browsing speed.
Distribution Methods Deceptive pop-up ads, false claims within visited websites, potentially unwanted applications (adware)
Damage Decreased computer performance, browser tracking - privacy issues, possible additional malware infections.
Malware Removal (Windows)

To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner.
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To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Browser notification spam in general

We have inspected countless rogue webpages; highpotencyguard[.]comalltimebestdefender[.]com, and lifepcessentials[.]com are but a couple of examples. These sites deliver browser notifications that predominantly promote deceptive and malicious content.

Note that while legitimate products or services may be encountered via these ads – they are unlikely to be endorsed in this manner by any official parties. It is most probable that this promotion is undertaken by scammers who abuse the content's affiliate programs to obtain illegitimate commissions.

How did knaws[.]top gain permission to deliver spam notifications?

Websites need user consent to display browser notifications. Therefore, if you are receiving these adverts from knaws[.]top – it means that you have likely entered this page at some point and enabled their delivery by selecting "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or an analogous option.

How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?

If you access a suspicious page – do not permit it to deliver browser notifications. In other words, do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or any similar options presented on such sites. Instead, we advise denying notification delivery – i.e., pressing "Block", "Block Notifications", etc. – or ignoring these requests altogether.

Should your browser continuously force-open dubious websites without prompt, it could be due to the presence of advertising-support software (adware) on the device. If your computer is already infected with rogue applications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Appearance of the knaws[.]top website (GIF):

knaws[.]top website appearance (GIF)

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

Disable unwanted browser notifications:

Video showing how to disable web browser notifications:

Google Chrome logoRemove spam notifications from Google Chrome:

Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". In the opened window select "Privacy and security", then click on "Site Settings" and choose "Notifications".

Disable web browser notifications in Google Chrome (step 1)

In the "Allowed to send notifications" list search for websites that you want to stop receiving notifications from. Click on the three dots icon near the website URL and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Disable web browser notifications in Google Chrome (step 2)

Android logoRemove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android):

Tap the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". Scroll down, tap on "Site settings" and then "Notifications".

Disable web browser notifications in Google Chrome - Android (step 1)

In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and tap on them one-by-one. Once the pop-up shows up, select either "Block" or "Remove" (if you tap "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Disable web browser notifications in Google Chrome - Android (step 2)

Mozilla Firefox logoRemove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen. Select "Settings" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen. Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications".

Disable web browser notifications in Mozilla Firefox (step 1)

In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and block them using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove Website" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove Website" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Disable web browser notifications in Mozilla Firefox (step 2)

Microsoft Edge logoRemove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge:

Click the menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the Edge window and select "Settings". Click on "Cookies and site permissions" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen and select "Notifications".

Disable web browser notifications in Microsoft Edge (step 1)

Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL under "Allow" section and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Disable web browser notifications in Microsoft Edge (step 2)

Safari logoRemove spam notifications from Safari (macOS):

Click "Safari" button on the left upper corner of the screen and select "Preferences...". Select the "Websites" tab and then select "Notifications" section on the left pane.

Disable web browser notifications in Safari - macOS (step 1)

Check for suspicious URLs and apply the "Deny" option using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

Disable web browser notifications in Safari - macOS (step 2)

How to avoid browser notification spam?

Internet users should be very skeptical when being asked to allow notifications. While this is a useful feature that allows you to receive timely news from websites you like, deceptive marketers frequently abuse it.

Only allow notifications from websites that you fully trust. For added security - use an anti-malware application with a real-time web browsing monitor to block shady websites that tries to trick you into allowing spam notifications. We recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why am I seeing ads (browser notifications) delivered by knaws[.]top in the right lower corner of my desktop?

You have likely visited knaws[.]top and permitted the notification delivery (i.e., clicked "Allow", "Allow Notifications", etc.), as no website can display these advertisements without user permission.

I have clicked on notification ads, is my computer infected?

No, clicking on a browser notification is harmless in itself. However, this does not apply to the content these ads promote. Spam notifications are known to endorse deceptive/malicious websites and software capable of causing severe issues (including system infections).

Is knaws[.]top a virus?

No, sites like knaws[.]top are not considered to be viruses, although they can push virulent content. Webpages of this kind commonly promote online scams, unreliable/harmful software, and even malware.

Will Combo Cleaner remove knaws[.]top ads automatically or manual steps are still required?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan systems and remove the permissions given to this webpage. Additionally, it can restrict further access to knaws[.]top and other rogue, deceptive/scam, and malicious sites. Therefore, extra steps will be unnecessary.

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About the author:

Tomas Meskauskas

Tomas Meskauskas - expert security researcher, professional malware analyst.

I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats. Contact Tomas Meskauskas.

PCrisk security portal is brought by a company RCS LT. Joined forces of security researchers help educate computer users about the latest online security threats. More information about the company RCS LT.

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Software uninstall instructions
Malware activity

Global malware activity level today:

Medium threat activity

Increased attack rate of infections detected within the last 24 hours.

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