Firefox + Unwanted insistent Malware "Protection"

[velderia]

Has anyone had this problem?

Sometimes, when randomly browsing the internet, the browser minimizes itself, and brings up an alert-like box in the corner. It babbles on about how I need Malware Protection. I wasn't really going to fall for that, I press cancel, about two times. Then after some canceling, the browser returns itself, but the website or tab I was looking at is replaced by the website and it flipping tries to install the damn thing through the browser. I close the tab before the status bar is even half full.

I'm afraid of googling something about this because I don't want it to bring itself up again. It happened twice. The first time I forgot exactly what I was browsing, and the second time it was through GaiaOnline. I wonder if it has anything to do with their advertisements but it's funny because I've been on that website since '05, or maybe even earlier, and nothing like this has happened to me before.

How can I prevent this from happening again, and I've been wondering if you have experienced this?

[Be0wolf]

Re: Firefox + Unwanted insistent Malware "Protection"

It astonishes me a bit that you haven't stumbled over this kind of behavior before:
Check your options, there are a number of things you can change to prevent this, especially the javascript settings on the contents tab.
And yes, you were looking into the right direction: it's the bloody advertisement which caused this, these are around for a while now for different products but as abusive.
Cheers

Beo

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: Firefox + Unwanted insistent Malware "Protection"

AdBlock Plus should be one of those few browser plugins that is simple considered "essential" on everyone's system. (along with FlashBlock and Tor's Vidalia package, AdBlock is something i install on every system that crosses my desk.)

I suspect that this Add-on, along with adequate Java protection settings, will take care of everything for you.

[xor]

Re: Firefox + Unwanted insistent Malware "Protection"

I like Spybot Search and Destory, but I think I read somewhere that they are changing the name to Spybot Sweep and Clear :-). I know really bad joke. :-) Also, check to make sure your don't have port 1027 open and turn off windows messaging.

http://www.spybot.com

x0r

Assuming you are using Windows as you didn't specify. Check you hosts file in your system directory and make sure it only has localhost entries. The hosts file should be smaller than 1k, and is another easy way to check it. Delete your temp and prefetch directories routinely

[burncycle]

Re: Firefox + Unwanted insistent Malware "Protection"

Also, when popups like this occur don't click any of the buttons in the popup, just close the window.

[Greyhatter]

Re: Firefox + Unwanted insistent Malware "Protection"

I'm afraid of googling something about this because I don't want it to bring itself up again.

Fear is a bad thing when faced with a challenge. I like the idea of uninstalling and reinstalling Firefox. Before reinstalling it try a registry cleaner first like Glarysoft and or Eusing to flush out all the reminance. Failing that, I'd run AVG antispyware (akaEwido) out of safe mode. Spybot is somewhat antiquated for a counterattack, however, I still find its advanced mode of some use here if you know what your doing. If this does not banish it I'll supply the ammo if you have the weapon but you'll have to aim and pull the trigger.

[mattrix]

Re: Firefox + Unwanted insistent Malware "Protection"

More specifically, you do not want to use any buttons to close any browser windows.

In windows Alt + F4, Mac OSX Flower (apple key) + Q, Linux - open terminal top, find PID, Kill ### -9 (where ### == PID)

Also, when popups like this occur don't click any of the buttons in the popup, just close the window.

[SarperDomain]

Re: Firefox + Unwanted insistent Malware "Protection"

95% of the time this pop is malware, or more specifically a popup initiator. The most famous version of this is the site goggle.com. The site was made by bigbrothersoft inc as an initiator for the download of the program Spy Sweeper. Once entered the site posts a popup saying "Your PC is infected with ### of viruses. Click this link to repair." After clicking the link the program would launch a self reinitiating VB script to keep any deleted malware in the system.

If ever you click on something and an active X warning pops up, close the window.

Also, beware of fake window closes, they disable the title bar and have a replicated close button in a picture that launches the initiator. Use winos: Ctrl-Shift-Esc Linux: Ctrl-Alt-Delete to launch the "Task Manager" and kill the process "iexplore.exe" if using Internet Explorer or "firefox.exe" if using Mozilla Firefox; on linux the processes will be Opera "opera", Firefox "iceweasel", Konqueror "konq" or "konqueror."