1337x.to Ads and Malware - How to remove

1337x.to is a website that makes it easier to find and download torrents. It can be used for pirating, but not all the files on it are stolen.

A bigger problem with 1337x.to is that it shows ads that are sometimes unavoidable and lead to unsafe sites. It is important to be careful of 1337x.to because some of the ads it shows truly can be harmful. Use tools to block malicious sites and ads, manage your browser settings, and protect your computer with a good antivirus program.

In addition, it’s good to be careful of the files downloaded from 1337x.to, although that is true for all free torrenting sites.

On 1337x.to in short:

Threat type	Adware.
What makes 1337x.to dangerous?	The files uploaded on it aren’t always safe, the ads displayed on 1337x.to sometimes lead to unsafe sites.
How to stay safe on the site	Use antivirus programs to avoid malware, block malicious sites.
How to remove 1337x.to ads and malware	Protect yourself from malware with antivirus programs (Combo Cleaner for Mac, Spyhunter for PC, and others), check your browser settings.

What makes 1337x.to dangerous?

The files that are downloaded via torrents

First of all, downloading copyrighted content from 1337x.to and other torrenting sites is often illegal (depends on what country you’re in). Usually, VPNs are advised to use for those who insist on pirating, as this helps hide the potentially illegal activity. Still, not all VPNs delete their logs, so it’s ultimately up to you to take responsibility for downloading copyrighted content.

The other issue is that pirated files are sometimes infected with malware. 1337x.to looks like a search engine for torrents – it lists available files, but the staff of the 1337x.to site doesn’t upload the files that are available on the site; various contributor users do it. So, it’s not surprising that some of them might infect their files with malicious add-ons:

• adware programs and browser hijackers,
• spyware and downloader bundles,
• ransomware.

Pirating files is always risky because there’s no one who can be held responsible for spreading malware on pirating sites. The contributor may get banned, but who can stop them from making a new account? And people can make a lot of money by spreading malware with their files. They can use the infected computers to spread spam, steal the banking info and the cryptocurrency of the victim, injecting ads into their browser, etc.

The ads that are displayed by 1337x.to

1337x.to makes money from ads:

• banners displayed on the page,
• new tabs and pop-ups that open when you click random spots on the page,
• ads spread via notifications.

What kinds of ads you get on 1337x.to depends on your location, but you generally see ads that are too controversial for other sites. Ads for adult-oriented content, gambling sites, notification hijackers and other adware, various scams, etc.

Even 1337x.to used to use notifications to deliver unwanted ads. If you get pop-up ads labeled with “1337x.to”, that’s because of misconfigured notification settings in your web browser.

How to stay safe on 1337x.to

Scan all the files that you download

Use a good antivirus program to protect your computer from malicious files. Scan all the downloads, even if they were uploaded by a trusted contributor and even if they had positive comments.

It’s worth noting that contributors uploading malicious files on 1337x.to is against 1337x.to’s interest. Like other torrenting sites, such as Limetorrents.info, Torrentgalaxy, and others, want to attract more users so that they can make more money. Malicious files do the opposite – they scare users away.

The files that you can download from torrent sites are always risky, but 1337x.to is considered to be relatively safe. Still, keep in mind that this can change quickly. You should not be loyal to a pirating site, but rather, you should always be looking for a safer alternative.

And, needless to say, you should avoid pirating when possible. If the price is the issue, use legal streaming sites for movies and TV shows and take advantage of free trials and account sharing to keep the price low. For software, seek out open-source software and free trials of commercial programs.

Block malicious websites

1337x.to triggers some ads in such a way that you can’t really avoid them. These ads open in new tabs and can be annoying, distracting, and sometimes – difficult to close.

Use programs, such as anti-malware tools, malicious site blockers, ad blockers, and other tools that can block malicious sites. They won’t be 100% effective, but they can tremendously improve your online safety.

Most importantly, never reveal your personal details, especially your payment details, to unfamiliar sites. VPNs won’t help here, you need to be very protective of your personal information.

How to remove 1337x.to ads and malware

If you use torrenting sites like 1337x.to regularly, it’s very important to stay vigilant. Just because the last few downloads weren’t infected doesn’t mean that you can relax.

If some shady programs did infect your computer, just use an antivirus program, such as Combo Cleaner for macOS, Spyhunter for Windows, and others to find and remove all of them.

Even though you can sometimes remove malicious or unwanted programs simply by uninstalling them, I’ve seen enough apps that leave behind executable files even after being uninstalled that I would not feel safe trusting these programs to remove themselves.

Check your browser’s notification settings. Consider making notification prompts use the quiet interface or disabling them completely. If unwanted sites are sending you pop-ups, then block them on the same notification settings page.

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