Mumsnet redirecting to porn website

[BackToYourselfYouSillyOldElf]

Is it just me?

It's happening on my phone, I click on a thread and instead of opening it sends me to some dodgy porn site.

It's not every time, but it's happened twice in 24hrs. I'm not tech savy is it my IPhone?

[highlandflingabout]

I had it last night, couldn't work out what was happening !

[chickydoo]

All ok here, iPad, iPhone & Mac...all normal nothing dodgy yet.

[ApplebyMennym]

OK here but I have a virus checker on my phone that blocks anything dodgy.

[nannynick]

Something similar has happened in the past - Video Advert Starting On My Phone.

I wonder if something similar is happening. Something to do with an advert which is being naughty and triggering a redirection.

Have not personally seen this latest one happening. Is it random, or is it happening regularly on a particular mumsnet thread?

[TiggyD]

I shut it as soon as I saw the website was either 'ewank' or 'wanke' or something

Sure it wasn't ewok? Might have been ewok porn.

[Wilford]

Unfortunately this is quite common especially on devices running Android. As Android is open-source software it is easy for unscrupulous programmers to write code/bugs into browsers to divert you to different sites, usually pay per view. Quite why they have targeted MN I don't know,but they do pop up everywhere these days. Windows or apple phones aren't so prone to this but can also be affected. Anti-Virus software is available for Android phones but even that will be unable to stop this happening in the majority of cases as they are not virus's as such. They just appear as browser add-ones which can appear as legitimate to AV software

[MostWicked]

Never had any problems on my Android devices

[NetworkGuy]

Nor me, MW. I have around half a dozen Android mobiles, a tablet and an Android device plugged into the 42" TV.

[bluetrees]

It happened to me this morning on the "do you know any rich people" or a title similar thread. Went to ewank but not when I clicked the thread the 2nd time.

[Ragglefrock]

Just happened to me although I got a content blocked by EE page presumably because it's porn.

[NerfHerder]

I've just posted on the other thread- this has happened to me twice this week. The first time I was completely in shock and confused, second time, I just shut the browser. It's rather nasty. Lots of the ads on the mobile site look ropey, but I am certain I hadn't clicked wither time in any case...

[wafflyversatile]

This happened on my phone the other day. pfiwank or something was in the url.

[tazzle22]

Happened to me last night too.... very explicit stuff ! Just about gave me heart attack lol. Was in such haste to get rid of it did not notice what thread. Android phone with chrome.

[WowserBowser]

Just happened to me - ewank

[FinickityCoder]

It's happened to me twice now. Ewank both times. The most annoying part is this morning it happened as I was going from page 2 to page 3 of a thread and it's totally removed the thread from my history (and now I can't find it ) and replaced it with ewank and something called slimspaces. I'll add a screenshot of the site addresses.

[YouWithTheFace]

Me too, mobile, Android, Chrome, slimspaces, cougars in compromising positions

[MyFairyKing]

This happened on Friday on my phone but not on my laptop. I don't use the app, just go through my browser.

[MyFairyKing]

I can't quire remember the name but 'Ewank' rings a bell.

[GrouchyKiwi]

Happened to me just now when I clicked on I'm On. Same website.

[GrouchyKiwi]

Oh, and I'm using Android with Chrome as well.

[tazzle22]

Again..... this time could not close it by pressing back to previous page... had to come right out of mumsnet to stop the blighters.... any possibility debugging amytime soon ?

[TiggyD]

What about all those poor men expecting Danish lesbian porn and ending up on a thread about different pushchairs or recipes for spongecakes?

Won't somebody think of the wankers?

[RedErik]

I can't believe mumsnet haven't fixed this yet.

[DrinaAdams]

tiggy.

[nannynick]

Netmums users are also reporting the same problem, so not just on Mumsnet.
That implies that it is a Mobile Advert which could be the route of the problem, or the trigger.

Screenshot from FinickityCoder is interesting, as the History says "Homepage" rather than the site address. So the ad is setting something within chrome, which can't be set by a user. Chrome on Android does not have a Homepage as such, it lets you open recently opened pages, or bookmarked pages.

One possibility is that there is a rouge app on some users phones which an advert is triggering, which in turn then directs the browser to a specific page. It is very hard to know for sure what is happening, why it is only some users who are seeing this.

It is going to very hard to find what is causing the problem. Mumsnet may be able to ask their ad provider to turn off Mobileads from third party networks, so only running Google Adwords Ads (Adsense) on Mobile devices. Meanwhile hopefully the ad networks are aware of a rouge ad and thus will eventually find it and remove it.