You launch Edge on your new PC, search for “download Chrome,” and click the first result headed to “google.com” on Bing. You’re now on a phishing website pushing malware, disguised to look like the Chrome download page.
That’s the story Gabriel Landau tells on Twitter:
Brand new Win10 laptop. Attempt to install Chrome. Almost get owned with my very first action. Why is this still happening in 2018, @bing? Please explain. pic.twitter.com/uYJhu7xa9H
— Gabriel Landau (@GabrielLandau) October 25, 2018
We were able to reproduce this problem, although it doesn’t happen every time. Usually, you’ll end up seeing an ad for “http://bit.ly/2Smz4uH;. That goes to the real Chrome download page, and everything is fine.
But, sometimes, you’ll see an ad for “google.com”. Guess what—that doesn’t actually go to Google.com. This ad was created by a scammer and goes elsewhere.
Microsoft is apparently not verifying the web address the advertisement actually goes to. Bing is letting this advertisement lie people.
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