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Got new WIN 10 PC downloaded Fiefox and Malwarebytes blocks it and warns of malicious site and 2 uninstalls and reloads haven't fixed problem

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  • Last reply by transbalham

transbalham
transbalham
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Just setting up a brand new Windows 10 PC. I downloaded Firefox and Malwarebytes flagged up that it had blocked a malicious site. I have uninstalled and re-installed twice directly from Mozilla.org but every time I start Firefox, Malwarebytes still warns me it has blocked a threat - but a virus scan doesn't actually list any malware found on my PC. Is this a false alarm? AS a "senior user" I'm a a bit nervous that something is infecting FF every time I install it.

NOTE : I'm posting this question from my old Win XP machine so the troubleshooting data below isn't relevant to my new installation!

Just setting up a brand new Windows 10 PC. I downloaded Firefox and Malwarebytes flagged up that it had blocked a malicious site. I have uninstalled and re-installed twice directly from Mozilla.org but every time I start Firefox, Malwarebytes still warns me it has blocked a threat - but a virus scan doesn't actually list any malware found on my PC. Is this a false alarm? AS a "senior user" I'm a a bit nervous that something is infecting FF every time I install it. NOTE : I'm posting this question from my old Win XP machine so the troubleshooting data below isn't relevant to my new installation!

All Replies (4)

philipp
philipp
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hi, can you be more specific about the threat that malwarebytes detect there (name, location on the file-system, etc...)

transbalham
transbalham Question owner
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Warning info is shown below.

The spelling of "internet" as "interneat" is what it actually says. This same warning has come up for all 3 downloads of Firefox (I think the first was from CNET, the other 2 downloads were direct from Mozilla)

Domain: searchinterneat-a.akamaihd.net IP: 213.123.84.98 Port 60354 Type: Outbound Process: C:\Program Files (x86) Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe

p.s. Just found "akamaihd" online as a virus that redirects your browser, but the instructions offered for removing it seem complicated and of course I don't know which of the sites offering removal assistance are themselves dangerous! Instructions for safe removal from my system and secure reload of Firefox would be gratefully received.

Modified by transbalham

philipp
philipp
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yes, might be a adware issue in your profile - please proceed like this:

  1. reset firefox (this will keep your bookmarks and passwords)
  2. afterwards go to the firefox 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

transbalham
transbalham Question owner
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Thanks.

For some reason I couldn't find a "Refresh" button anywhere on the toolbar but I did find "Options" and found my way to "Extensions", which said "You have no extensions". However when I went into the Firefox Health Check it said there was 1 extension but wouldn't say what it was!

Then I found a "Restore to default" option and changed the displayed default from "searchinterneat-a akamhaid" to "Firefox Start Page".

Then I looked at "Customise" and finally found "Restart with add-ons disabled" and that put a new folder on my Start page called "Old Firefox Data" which shows a file folder called ray9tqku.default = I don't know if that is the nasty add-on or not?

Anyway I shut down Firefox and restarted it and it opened with the Firefox logo and basic search box - and no message from Malwarebytes. Does that mean I'm home and dry?

Thanks for your assistance.