firefox urgent update
Does anyone know how to recover from this? I was in the middle of shutting my PC down when this came up and I clicked it without even thinking. Didn't strike me until it was over that it was BS.
I have rolled back my system to a previous recover point but don't know if it is too late. Did it get data from my PC? What data? How can I find out what it does?
PS - Microsoft Defender did nothing to prevent this.
Chosen solution
Oh, you already rolled back.
If it was Kotver, which is the one identified several months ago, its main purpose isn't to steal your data, but to use your internet connection to commit fraud on various websites, which ruins your performance and potentially gets your IP address banned. More info: https://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2015-082817-0932-99
Since it has the ability to load whatever malware it wants on your computer, you definitely should do a bunch of scans. You can use the programs listed in our support article: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware. It also has specialized forums where they provide guidance on advanced cleaning tools.
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This is not from Mozilla or the Firefox web browser. The fake firefox-patch.exe and firefox-patch.js files can install things like trojans, viruses, unwanted software or to download additional stuff onto Windows based on past reports if the user runs them. The random name of the websites alone should raise a flag that it was not legit.
It is coming from some malicious Ads on some websites.
They are trying to trick less experience Windows and or Firefox users (on Windows) to run this fake firefox-patch.js file. Even if you were to download this firefox-patch.js file it is not a risk unless you were to try and run it.
The Firefox updates have not really changed as they are done internally in Firefox (with a .mar type of file) whether on Windows, Mac OSX or Linux (since Firefox 1.5 about eleven years ago) or by download from mozilla.org like say www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/
You could try using a adblocker extension like uBlock Origin to block theses fake ads if you keep getting them. https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/
Unfortunately this has gone on for a while now with one or two new sites still reported every so often though not as much in last couple months. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/contributors/712056/
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/i-found-fake-firefox-update
If it is the "file-less" registry infection, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (free or trial) is supposed to be able to remove it.
https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download/
If that doesn't help, how far back was your last Windows restore point? Need to compare the time/effort to fix vs. what would be lost by rolling back.
Chosen Solution
Oh, you already rolled back.
If it was Kotver, which is the one identified several months ago, its main purpose isn't to steal your data, but to use your internet connection to commit fraud on various websites, which ruins your performance and potentially gets your IP address banned. More info: https://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2015-082817-0932-99
Since it has the ability to load whatever malware it wants on your computer, you definitely should do a bunch of scans. You can use the programs listed in our support article: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware. It also has specialized forums where they provide guidance on advanced cleaning tools.