Rogue ad hits Gumtree as users warned of malware
A rogue ad containing potentially malicious software disrupted access to Gumtree ‘s over the weekend, causing thousands of users to steer clear of the website.
Messages on several browsers warned visitors on Saturday night that “the website ahead contains Malware”.
It led to a flurry of activity on Gumtree’s Facebook page and on various threads on the Internet, including Reddit, as users warned of a security breach.
The unsafe content was detected by Google within an ad provided by a third party agency. The message appeared for several hours on Saturday although Gumtree insisted the issue was “rectified the same day”
Gumtree also reassured users that the site has not been the subject of a virus.
“Gumtree has not had any form of security breaches,” it told followers on Facebook. “Please be advised the site is safe and secure and the technical difficulties that prompted last night’s issue has now been resolved”.
It is unclear precisely what the issue was, or which company had placed the ad.
Gumtree deals directly with some advertisers but also receives material from third parties.
Steve Jones
