HACKER Q&A
📣 the_only_law

Strange Google Link Behavior in iOS?


So I searched for site on Google, for a couple reasons, I’d rather not disclose the specific site, but it’s been up for years and is typically the first result when you search the sites name.

I’ve been to this site many times, but today, something odd started happening. If I search the site in Google, the correct site is indeed the first result.

The problem is when I clicked this link, it sends me to a different URL, one that gives me spammy vibes. At first I wondered if the site was hijacked. It has never supported HTTPS, so I figured maybe they just got hacked. But strangely, and hour or so ago, I didn’t have this issue.

The part where it gets strange is when I browse the URL directly, I get the correct page, not the spam site. Also, if I long press the google result link and wait for the Safari preview, it shows the right site, as does opening in a new tab. I hopped over to my PC, searched for the site and clicked the link, and it all looks good there.

I can’t even begin to imagine what going on. Maybe some strange UA/referrer/etc. hack, but this has only been observed about an hour ago.


  👤 mattl Accepted Answer ✓
Could be the site is compromised by only shows when coming from Google.

Inform the site owners if you can.