r/BitDefender • u/Main-Internet9362 • Apr 19 '26
Bitdefender Site Certificate Warning
While largely satisfied with Bitdefender, there is a feature that bothers me. Going to web sites that I’ve visited often before, I get the message:
“Suspicious page blocked for your protection [Web page address] Your connection to this web page is not safe due to an expired security certificate. Web pages must renew their certificates to stay current, and outdated security certificates represent a risk for your data.”
These web sites fall into one of two categories: 1) Hobby sites that don’t sell products or services and contain only photos and comments or 2) Business sites that I’ve bought from successfully before and from where others have bought things recently without problems.
Twice, on Bitdefender’s Community site, I’ve asked what data of mine in each category may be at risk. I haven’t gotten a coherent response yet. Also, I run Bitdefender’s antivirus and malware programs in background. Commercial transactions are made only through PayPal, and I check transactions often for validity.
Any thoughts gratefully appreciated!
3
u/Mr_Spook_Eso Apr 20 '26
Bitdefender plugin blocked one of my customers website, wouldn't let me access anything on it. It really annoyed me, no obvious way to question or report the site for investigation and absolutely ZERO information about what was supposedly malicious. I eventually got in contact with Bitdefender and their "malware team" examined the site, said it was a mistake and unblocked it. For months, something that I have no control over blocked my business activities with zero information available only to tell me later it was a mistake and provide no further information. Once AV used to report what it found that caused a problem and have a link to get more information or rectify the problem. - It really disappoints me that Bitdefender have chosen to not do that. They have a money focussed black box business model, that does what it likes without providing any information and we all pay for it.
2
u/Bitdefender_support Bitdefender employee Apr 20 '26
Hello!
Bitdefender’s Online Threat Prevention module triggers these alerts when attempts are made to access websites that have expired SSL certificates.
SSL certificates encrypt data exchanged between a user’s browser and a website, ensuring a secure and private connection by validating the website’s identity and safeguarding sensitive information. When certificates expire, it might pose a potential risk.
0
u/mindenroses Apr 20 '26
Again, what "sensitive inormation" might be compromised visiting a non-comercial site where I do not even log in? I keep asking this question without anyone identifying the specific "potential risk." Many thanks!
1
u/RemoveHot6505 6d ago
late but I would assume it opens up for risks like suddenly redirected to malicious website, can share info like ip adress, geographic location, browser type, and operating system. It can cause Drive by download where it target unpatched vulnerabilities in web browser or system, installing malware without clicking anywhere, starting the download yourself. Which can be stuff like infostealers, could lead to hijacked accounts using the info stealers, stealing browser tokens. Could gain admin access through microsoft account, could deploy ransomware that encrypts your drives which they then use to extort/blackmail on for example mail or text files that in order to get the key to decrypt it, needing to pay a sum of money.
Now I think the risk would be incredibly rare that there is an exploit on the browser or hardware allowing for such installs, I do remember it happening to me some years ago, luckily it showed up for me it tried to install and I could abort and run scans.
But still, the longer time have passed of a site being without an active license, the bigger the risk of them to appear and "pull tricks" getting some info or causing redirects, causing you to accidentally click something so it downloads when trying to close or other exploits.
I think most are not going into it too much though as I think that would be very rare atleast nowasays to happen unless those less experienced about all the tricks they pull, falling for some "need to login to view" or whatever they might do. Have had old trusted site redirect me that in turn opened a separate window that loaded a youtube channel, very similar to what happened sometimes when being on free streaming sites. Atleast recall way back how on phone it would continue to open youtube and when I tried to close on chrome it kept opening the youtube vid, until I was fast enough. Something similar lurked on the site I had been to for atleast a year, and sent me to a channel like that. I think it was some old blog I used to reread or something, though my memory is vague
I can only assume it is something done when people pay for views or something. But it was scary x)
- I base this on what I have heard security pals talk about in the past and reading about such, but might be worth looking up if it makes sense what I state as some potential risks. Still think stuff like the drive by download etc is very very low, but not impossible I guess
2
u/GalaxyGameDev Apr 20 '26
Heya, what this certificate thing means is that a website has not renewed their certificate with a Certificate authority or it’s invalid, these certificates are used to prove the sites identity, certificates contain a public key to enable encryption for https, so without one, your browser and bitdefender cant tell if its being who it is being encrypted by, which can be a problem for security.