Blog | G5 Cyber Security

Mac Avast Malware Popups in Chrome: Fix

G5 Cyber Security

TL;DR

Avast sometimes incorrectly flags Google Chrome as a threat on Macs. This guide shows you how to stop these annoying pop-ups by adjusting Avast’s settings and checking your browser extensions.

Stopping Avast Malware Popups in Chrome

  1. Update Avast: An outdated version of Avast can cause false positives. Make sure you have the latest definitions.
    • Open Avast Security.
    • Click ‘Menu’ (usually three horizontal lines).
    • Select ‘Check for updates’.
    • Follow any on-screen instructions to install updates.
  2. Adjust Avast’s Web Shield Settings: This is the most common fix.
    • Open Avast Security.
    • Go to ‘Protection’ > ‘Web Shield’.
    • Click ‘Customize web shield’.
    • Under ‘Settings’, find ‘Sensitivity’. Try lowering it from ‘High’ to ‘Medium’ or even ‘Low’. Be aware that lower sensitivity means less protection.
    • Add Chrome as an exception (see step 3).
  3. Exclude Google Chrome from Scanning: Tell Avast not to scan Chrome so deeply.
    • Open Avast Security.
    • Go to ‘Protection’ > ‘General’.
    • Click ‘Exclusions’.
    • Click ‘Add exclusion’.
    • Select ‘File’, then browse to your Google Chrome application. It’s usually in /Applications/Google Chrome.app.
    • Alternatively, add the entire Chrome folder if you have issues.
  4. Check Your Browser Extensions: A rogue extension can trigger Avast.
    • Open Google Chrome.
    • Type chrome://extensions in the address bar and press Enter.
    • Review your extensions carefully. Remove any you don’t recognise or trust. Look for extensions with unusual permissions.
  5. Clear Chrome’s Cache and Cookies: Sometimes corrupted data causes problems.
    • Open Google Chrome.
    • Click the three dots (Menu) > ‘More tools’ > ‘Clear browsing data’.
    • Select ‘All time’ for the Time range.
    • Check ‘Cookies and other site data’ and ‘Cached images and files’.
    • Click ‘Clear data’.
  6. Run a Full System Scan: Just to be sure.
    • Open Avast Security.
    • Click ‘Scan’.
    • Select ‘Full scan’ and run the scan.
  7. Reset Chrome (Last Resort): This will remove all your settings, extensions, and history.
    • Open Google Chrome.
    • Click the three dots (Menu) > ‘Settings’.
    • Scroll down to ‘Advanced’ > ‘Reset and clean up’ > ‘Restore settings to their original defaults’.
    • Confirm the reset.
Exit mobile version