Referrer spam mentioning the domain 1webmaster(.)ml has increased recently, security experts report. What is more, this particular type of spam is believed to be more sophisticated and persistent. The website 1websmaster(.)ml is reported to advertise spam bots and other software of this type. In case you have been redirected to an external website by one of 1webmaster`s URLs, it is highly recommended to act swiftly and scan your computer for malware since the nature of some third-party websites advertised may be dangerous to you. In case you are a website publisher you should make sure to use the tutorials below to block this referral spam permanently.
| Name | 1webmaster(.)ml Referral Spam |
| Type | Referrer Spam |
| Short Description | This type of spam may corrupt Google Analytics data. It often redirects to third-party websites. |
| Symptoms | The website publisher experiences a suddens spike in Google Analytics traffic chart. |
| Distribution Method | Via Spam Bots (Web Crawlers or Ghost Bots) |
| Detection Tool | Download Malware Removal Tool, to See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware |
| User Experience | Join our forum to discuss about 1webmaster(.)ml Referral Spam. |
1webmaster(.)ml Referral Spam – What is it
This particular referral spam is used to generate traffic to other websites. The websites to which links such as
may redirect to may be of any of the following categories:
- Phishing website that resembles another notorious websites (mostly online retailers like eBay, Amazon, etc.) and steals information via user data upon registration or payment.
- Scamming websites such as fake surveys, fake tech support scams, fake giveaways and others.
- Malicious URLs that may directly infect the user with malware.
The referral spam may also lead to other websites who may wish to boost their traffic very fast. This service is generously paid for by vendors and it is a very effective way to boost traffic. However, the downside is for websites who are being spammed. Google analytics data from such sites may suddenly fluctuate such as the one seen below and hence devaluate the research data.
Generally the referrer spam is categorized into two main categories.
Category 1 – Crawlers
Web crawlers are also known as spiders and they carry these nicknames because the software basically crawls the web very fast whilst searching for websites that represent a good spam opportunity. This particular type of spam is very effective against undeveloped sites or ones with low traffic. The spam itself is not very well known to be persistent. It may immediately stop spamming your website after 1 flag or block. It really depends on what it has been configured to do by the spammers and how skillful they are.
Category 2 – Ghost Referrer Spam
Ghost referrer spam is a sophisticated spam attack because it uses several different features that enable it to remain hidden for as long as possible. Ben Davis, a researcher at vidget.com indicates that this type of spam might have the ability to target different analytics of a website and take advantage of the free HTTP data transfer passing through. This may enable it to do the previously mentioned plus spam from distance i.e. spam while not being in the website itself. This makes the ban of the spam bot increasingly difficult.
Generally, referrer spam has the primary goal of driving hoax traffic to third-party websites so most spammers to not mind what type are the online locations they redirect to. This is why it is advisable for both users and web publishers to stay away from 1webmaster(.)ml.
1webmaster(.)ml Referrer Spam In Detail
The web link itself 1webmaster(.)ml is reported to advertise several different suspicious software and even spam bots itself:
Since such programs are often regarded as illegitimate and such sites are usually flagged. This is particularly bad for websites which are being spammed because they may be banned from Google for having such potentially hazardous links within them.
Blocking 1webmaster(.)ml Referrer Spam
In order to completely block out referrer spam by 1webmaster(.)ml it is important to isolate it from any aspect, not just in Google Analytics. Here we have suggested several methods plus click on this link for more instructions:
https://sensorstechforum.com/exclude-all-hits-from-known-bots-and-spiders-in-google-analytics/
Method 1: Filtering 1webmaster(.)ml in Google Analytics:
Step 1: Click on the ‘Admin’ tab on your GA web page.
Step 2: Choose which ‘View’ is to be filtered and then click the ‘Filters’ button.
Step 3: Click on ‘New Filter’.
Step 4: Write a name, such as ‘Spam Referrals’.
Step 5: On Filter Type choose Custom Filter –>Exclude Filter –> Field: Campaign Source–> Filter Pattern. Then on the Pattern, enter the domain name – 1webmaster(.)ml
Step 6: Select Views to Apply Filter.
Step 7: Save the filter, by clicking on the ‘Save’ button.
You are done! Congratulations!
We have also researched the following methods to remove this spam:
Method 2: Block it from your server.
In case you have a server that is an Apache HTTP Server, you may want to try the following commands to block 1webmaster(.)ml domains in the .htaccess file: RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} ^https://.*1webmaster \.ru/ [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} ^https://.*1webmaster \.org/ [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} ^https://.*1webmaster \.info/ [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} ^https://.* 1webmaster \.com/ [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} ^https://.* 1webmaster \.to/ [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} ^https://.* 1webmaster \-for\-website\.to/ [NC,OR] RewriteRule ^(.*)$ – [F,L]
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} ^https://.*1webmaster \.ml/ [NC,OR]
Also here is a web link to some spam URLs being blacklisted from other servers:
https://perishablepress.com/blacklist/ultimate-referrer-blacklist.txt
Disclaimer: This type of domain blocking in Apache servers has not yet been tested and it should be done by experienced professionals. Backup is always recommended.
Method 3 – Via WordPress
There is a method outlined by security researchers online that uses WordPress plugins to block referrer spams from sites. There are many plugins that help deal with referrer spam, simply do a google search. We have currently seen one particular plugin reported to work, called WP-Ban, but bear in mind that you may find an equally good or better. WP-Ban has the ability to block users based on their IP address and other information such as the URL, for example.
In case you have visited the website it is highly advisable to use an advanced anti-malware tool in order to check your computer for any intrusions.
Spy Hunter scanner will only detect the threat. If you want the threat to be automatically removed, you need to purchase the full version of the anti-malware tool.Find Out More About SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool / How to Uninstall SpyHunter
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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