For the last couple of years countless users have been asking advise on how to get rid of intrusive pop-up advertisements unofficially referred to as akamaihd.net virus, akamaihd.net ads, akamaihd.net malware, akamaihd.net pop-up ads, etc. In fact, the whole furor is caused by the rvzr-a.akamaihd.net which is a sub-domain of akamaihd.net which, as it has turned out, is being exploited by cybercriminals to generate advertising revenue by imposing the display of sponsored advertisements or to spread malware by loading fake software upgrade prompts (browser or Adobe Flash updates for example).
What Is Akamaihd.net?
Akamaihd.net is a content-delivery network that Web giants such as Facebook and Twitter use in order to provide their services faster to the user, regardless of their geographic location. It is an essential part of Akamai Technologies, Inc.’s infrastructure. Serving about 15 to 30% of all Internet traffic, the company is World leader in providing CDN services.
Content Delivery Network also known as Content Distribution Network, or shortly CDN, is a large-scale network of proxy servers located in different parts of the World. The primary purpose of CDNs is to transport content in the fastest and highest-quality manner by transmitting it from the geographically nearest to the end user data source location (e.g., if you live in Berlin, and want to view pictures on Facebook, they will load faster if stored on a German server rather than on one situated in Jakarta, Indonesia). Furthermore CNDs protect content providers against SQL injections by offering WAF (Web Application Firewall), and absorbing the impact of DDoS attacks thanks to their huge infrastructural proportions.
Security Concerns Related To Amakai
(a) Akamai NetSession Interface
Akamai NetSession Interface is a download manager client “that helps deliver faster, more reliable downloads on demand “. Renowned publishers use it in order to ensure more secure, more efficient and faster data downloads and media streams for their huge customer base. Among Akamai NeSession’s customers count security power-houses Trend Micro and McAffee, multimedia software giants Adobe Systems as well as computer games developers such as Blizzard Entertainment (responsible for some of the most iconic titles in contemporary gaming history) and Aeria Games who employ the tool with the purpose to grant users faster application and updates (or patches) downloads. It is important and fair to note, that if a user is requested to install it in order to download some application, it is a requirement by the application publisher, not Akamai Technologies, Inc.
Nevertheless, there has been a rising tide of discontent and concern based on the fact that Akamai NetSession Interface does not only act as a download manager , but – if the feature is enabled – also as an upload client, virtually integrating user’s computer into a peer-to-peer network. Although the application only uses miniscule amount of idle computer’s processing resources and bandwidth, some users don’t morally approve the idea to help content distributors reduce delivery costs by sharing their Internet connection. Since NetSession is an absolutely secure and legitimate program, which a great range of well-known software producers and multimedia publishers implement, it is plausibly the better choice to not uninstall it unless (for some peculiar reason) really necessary. Instead, for users who mind upstreaming data it is advisable to simply disable uploads within Akamai’s client.
(b) rvzr-a.akamaihd.net Pop-Up Ads
Imprecisely commonly referred to as akamaihd.net virus, akamaihd.net pop-up virus, akamaihd.net malware, or akamaihd.net pop-up ads, rvzr-a.akamaihd.net is a sub-domain which belongs to akamaihd.net’s CDN network. Innately not malicious, it is being exploited by cyber-criminals who misuse it to raise advertising revenue by loading excessive amounts of intrusive adverts (most typically in the form of pop-up windows) as well as to distribute malware by presenting fraudulent prompts falsely claiming to provide updates for legitimate software such as Adobe Flash.
How do cybercriminals exploit akamaihd.net?
In order to redirect to akamaihd.net and force the display of sponsored or maliciously embedded adverts, cyber-criminals use a variety of adware applications. In other words, if you experience the above-described symptoms, one of following offensive programs has most probably managed to sneak onto your computer:
BetterSurf, Covert File for Free, Define Ext 1, Download keeper, LyricsGet, LyricsBuddy-1, Media Player 1.1, Plus-HD 1.3, PNGconvert , SafeSaver, Savings Bull, ScorpionSaver, VisualBee, WatchItNoAds 2.7, Websteroids. (Please note that this list is not final, theoretically, every adware developer may decide to exploit rvzr-a.akamaihd.net).
Note for Mac users: On Mac OS, the rvzr-a.akamaihd.net adverts are known to be caused by the suspicious browser extension GoPhoto.It. Its permanent removal is reported to effectively solve the security issues related to rvzr-a.akamaihd.net.
Why Is It Urgently Important To Get Rid Of rvzr-a.akamaihd.net related Adware
As pointed out above, the invasive advertisements shown from rvzr-a.akamaihd.net are triggered by one or more adware applications. It is extremely important to detect and remove them because they do not only render affected browsers virtually unusable, but also expose users to an unpredictable variety of further security threats by implementing malicious code into adverts or (re)directing to websites which spread dangerous malware (such as Trojan Horses, ransomware, keyloggers, etc.) or conduct online fraud. Adware is also associated with severely compromised user’s privacy as well as theft of sensitive data such as login credentials, bank account information, or credit card details. It is also vitally important to note that ad-supported applications gravely impair the performance, stability and Internet connection speed of victim computers.
How To Get Rid Of rvzr-a.akamaihd.net – Threat Removal Guide
Although it is generally greatly advisable to constantly use a proven reliable antivirus software in order to remove present security threats and protect yourself against future infections, you can get rid of rvzr-a.akamaihd.net also by hand. Please refer to our detailed removal manual below which is designed to guide you through each single step of the process.
Remove rvzr-a.akamaihd.net ads from Mozilla Firefox
Step 1: Discharge questionable browser extensions
1. Open Mozilla Firefox menu located in top-right corner of the browser window and click on “Add-ons” (you can alternatively use following keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+A).
2. Once inside the Add-ons manager, inspect the contents of “Extensions” and “Appearance” tabs for suspicious extensions.
3. Discharge unwanted extensions by hitting the “Disable” button.
Step 2: Reset Mozilla Firefox to its default settings
1. Open Mozilla Firefox menu and click the “Help” button.
2. From the drop-down Help menu select “Troubleshooting Information”.
3. Hit the “Refresh Firefox” button located in the top-right corner of the Troubleshooting Information window.
4. A confirmation dialog will appear. Click “Refresh Firefox”.
5. Complete the procedure by hitting “Finish” after Firefox auto-restarts.
Remove rvzr-a.akamaihd.net ads from Google Chrome
Step 1: Disable suspicious extensions
1. Navigate to Chrome menu located in the top-right corner of the browser window.
2. From the drop-down list select “More Tools” and then “Extensions”.
3. Delete any unwanted add-ons by clicking the trash symbol.
4. Pressing “Remove” in order to confirm.
Step 2: Reset Google Chrome to its default settings
1. Open Chrome menu and select “Settings”.
2. Click “Show advanced settings” (located at the bottom of the Settings page).
3. Scroll down to “Reset settings” and click the corresponding button.
4. Confirm by hitting “Reset”.
Remove rvzr-a.akamaihd.net ads from Internet Explorer
Step 1: Remove unwanted add-ons
1. In the top-right corner click on the wrench icon and open the Tools menu (or press Alt+X).
2. Select “Manage add-ons” and go to “Toolbars and Extensions”.
3. Select the extensions you want to get rid of.
4. Choose “Remove” and then select “Close”.
Step 2: Reset Internet Explorer to its default settings
1. Click the wrench icon and select “Internet Options”.
2. In the “Internet Options” dialog window click the “Advanced” tab and then the “Reset” button.
3. Check the “Delete personal settings” option and hit the “Reset button”.
4. In the end, hit “Close” to finish.
Instead of an epilogue
Akamai Technologies is in no way related to browser hijacking, stunningly, its founder and CEO, Daniel Lewin, has died trying to counter a real life hijacking, that of Flight 11, on September 11, 2001…
