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Firefox latest download hijacked by Yahoo

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The Firefox Setup Stub 31.0 download of today 5 August '14 is locked into Yahoo. Even using Google links into Yahoo and will not open pages. This continues despite several downloads. Similarly there are a considerable number of advertisement 'hooks' dotted around the text on your pages as on every other page and browser is frequently hijacked to Java, although not the genuine site and elsewhere. This renders your Browser as unusable. All suggestions welcome.

The Firefox Setup Stub 31.0 download of today 5 August '14 is locked into Yahoo. Even using Google links into Yahoo and will not open pages. This continues despite several downloads. Similarly there are a considerable number of advertisement 'hooks' dotted around the text on your pages as on every other page and browser is frequently hijacked to Java, although not the genuine site and elsewhere. This renders your Browser as unusable. All suggestions welcome.

Chosen solution

If you have cleaned the control panel and disabled the extensions visible on the Add-ons page and the problem persists, try the scanners listed in the article philipp linked to at the end of his reply: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware.

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All Replies (5)

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hello TimSimpsonUK, you have various malicious addons present. please perform all these steps:

  1. reset firefox (this will keep your bookmarks and passwords)
  2. afterwards go to the firefox menu New Fx Menu > addons > extensions and in case there are still extensions listed there, disable them.
  3. finally run a full scan of your system with different security tools like the free version of malwarebytes and adwcleaner to make sure that adware isn't present in other places of your system as well.

Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware

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The only Yahoo related thing in Firefox any version for any OS from www.mozilla.org is it is one of the other search engines in the Search Bar.

Yahoo does have a Yahoo bundled version from their site though.

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I noticed the word "Spigot" in the URL of your home page. You may need to remove something from Spigot Software through the Windows Control Panel, Uninstall a Program. After the list loads, I suggest clicking the "Installed on" column heading to group the infections, I mean, additions, by date. This helps in spotting innocently named bundled items that snuck in with something you actually wanted. Take out as much trash as possible here before cleaning up your add-ons in Firefox, or they may simply come back again and again.

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Many thanks for your quick responses. I have cleared out Spigot and have left only those downloads that have been brought in by the OS etc. or safe sites e.g. Adobe, Java etc.

I then downloaded from the padlocked Mozilla site: Firefox Set-up Stub 31.0 from your [padlocked] site. Sadly, it has been immediately hijacked by Yahoo; so have uninstalled. However I did notice in the address bar that it is showing 'UK' so is this a UK problem?

Whilst writing I would mention that I am being plagued with pop-ups/hijacks etc - including on the Mozilla site - from the following: AdOptions EasytoShop Opensoftwareupdater.com Saferweb Saveron

I have also been in touch with Google on this point but they have not replied. I would be surprised if this was a UK only problem.

All suggestions welcome

Regards, TimSimpson UK

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Chosen Solution

If you have cleaned the control panel and disabled the extensions visible on the Add-ons page and the problem persists, try the scanners listed in the article philipp linked to at the end of his reply: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware.