How to fix
“Critical Vulnerability Found” Error
on Windows

Chrome returned a security warning “Critical Vulnerability Found” generated by ispsecurity.info domain. I did not click OK because I’m afraid to download a virus. Do you know anything about this domain or alert?

Cyber security experts have recently spread a warning about Tech Support Scam “Critical Vulnerability Found.” The message is distributed via adware-type programs or encoded third-party domains. In most of the cases, people experience web browser’s redirects to the ispsecurity.info web domain, which shows a pop-up box at the top of the screen in the white background. The alert says:

Critical Vulnerability Found
Download and Install ANTIVIRUS immediately.
OS Type: Windows (X)
Press OK to begin repair process.

The Critical Vulnerability Found pop-up freezes the web browser and the only thing the user can do is to click OK button. No matter how intimidating this message may occur from the first glimpse, do not click on OK button. That’s a trick used by scammers to prompt people install potentially unwanted program (PUP), such as rogue antivirus or registry cleaner. Such programs are not malicious like spyware, ransomware or worms, but they can also initiated various shady activities on the target system. They may decrease PC’s performance, establish a connection with third-party servers, track user’s web browsing activities or even download other PUPs. Besides, PUPs often install Browser Helper Objects (BHO), which prevent the app from being removed easily.

Once the Critical Vulnerability Found Tech-Support-Scam pop-up shows up on a web browser, close your web browser forcefully and run a scan with a professional anti-malware utility. If you don’t know how to do that, follow these steps:

• When the browser is stuck with the Critical Vulnerability Found pop-up, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete.
• Select Task Manager and open Process tab.
• Find the process of your web browser, click on it, and select End Task.
• Then boot your PC into Safe Mode and launch your anti-virus.
• Wait for the anti-virus to perform a full system scan and then command it to remove all dangerous and potentially unwanted apps and files.

These steps should be sufficient to uninstall unwanted third-party apps, but not to fix Critical Vulnerability Found error on your web browser. To remove the pop-up permanently, you should also reset your web browser. You can find instructions on how to do that on these pages:

Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
Microsoft Edge
Internet Explorer

Alternatively, you can uninstall Critical Vulnerability Found adware manually. However, since adware type applications may have hidden files and browser helpers, manual removal is not recommended.

• Right-click on Windows key and open Control Panel.
• Select Programs and Features.
• Check the list of installed apps and remove unknown and suspicious ones. Besides, check the date of unknown programs and if it coincide with the emergence of the Critical Vulnerability Found scam, uninstall it without hesitation. To do so, click on the unwanted app and select Uninstall.
• To check if all additional files have been removed, you can open the Registry Editor. Press Windows key + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
• Then click Edit -> Find.
• Enter the name of the deleted program and if the search delivers some results, removal all remaining files.
• Finally, reset your web browser.