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threat detected message...

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  • Last reply by abrogard

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When I bring up Firefox it goes always to the same page with a bell chiming and some woman saying ' a threat has been detected' and a message about some outfit wanting my username and password - and it won't let me shut down that page and it won't let me move to another tab....

Opera, which I'm in now, is fine. So it looks like Firefox is hacked.

Avast has scanned the computer and says it is okay. So has ccleaner and adware cleaner and spybot search and destroy.

I recently reset firefox.

anyone got any ideas what i should do? I've got win10 here.

When I bring up Firefox it goes always to the same page with a bell chiming and some woman saying ' a threat has been detected' and a message about some outfit wanting my username and password - and it won't let me shut down that page and it won't let me move to another tab.... Opera, which I'm in now, is fine. So it looks like Firefox is hacked. Avast has scanned the computer and says it is okay. So has ccleaner and adware cleaner and spybot search and destroy. I recently reset firefox. anyone got any ideas what i should do? I've got win10 here.

All Replies (20)

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It's called scam site not a FF message. Whatever site or link your clicking is the cause of the problem. FF isn't hacked because of that message it's whatever site your going to that is attempting to pose as a legit message which it isn't. Those message only comes up if you go to illegitimate sites that are scam site.

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well as it happens I just posted an edit to my post, you'll see there i guess - funny the way this works, I can't see the list of posts, only yours and my question - anyway, I just posted an edit and got redirected from the 'edit post' link on mozilla's site.

So by your reckoning it's mozilla's site that's at fault.

Modified by abrogard

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Those type of web pages are Fake Notices.

. Whenever you get a message / popup like that;

DO NOT USE ANY OF THE PROVIDED LINKS OR ANY PHONE NUMBERS ! !

Such messages are only Spam that could lead you to Fake Support. Not only can they damage or hack your system, they charge you to do so.

You can report such a site at; Google Report Phishing Page {web link} which is the same when done while on site by going to Help > Report Web Forgery

Help us safeguard Mozilla’s trademarks by reporting misuse {web link}


If you can't get rid of that webpage,

A way out of the trap is to (force it if needed) Close Firefox. Wait about 20 seconds for Firefox to finish closing. Right-click on the Firefox icon and select Open New Window. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sometimes this works. If it opens, close it by Menu > File > Exit. This will flush out that web page from the Session Store.

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abrogard said

well as it happens I just posted an edit to my post, you'll see there i guess - funny the way this works, I can't see the list of posts, only yours and my question - anyway, I just posted an edit and got redirected from the 'edit post' link on mozilla's site.

When you say that you just posted an edit, are you talking about this thread here : https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1203909

You did indeed remove that link (thank you for that  !)

But what 'list of posts' are you talking about  ?

And what do you mean by :

"I just posted an edit and got redirected from the 'edit post' link on mozilla's site."  ?

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the 'list of posts' is a view of the whole thread.

"I just posted...... " means that I clicked "edit" and went straight away to the porn page.

Instead of to edit.

Modified by abrogard

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abrogard said

the 'list of posts' is a view of the whole thread. "I just posted...... " means that I clicked "edit" and went straight away to the porn page. Instead of to edit.

It sounds to me like you are talking about your other thread (like I asked you before) :

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1203909

In that thread there are only two posts : yours and mine.

What you are talking about here in this thread pertains to a scam - see the answers posted by WestEnd and FredMcD.

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You're right. I've got the two threads mixed up.

What I'm trying to talk about now is a redirection problem.

I don't know about that scam thing. It's not happening now.

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Are you still getting redirected?

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Sure am. Coincidentally I just clicked you know 'didn't answer my question' or whatever is to come here and do this but what I got was one of these instead:

https://imgur.com/a/pNMgi

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Those look like Fake Messages. Do Not Respond ! !

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My apologies, didn't see that, as Fred MCD says don't do anything with those messages!!!

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abrogard said

Sure am. Coincidentally I just clicked you know 'didn't answer my question' or whatever is to come here and do this but what I got was one of these instead: https://imgur.com/a/pNMgi

When you get a scam page that shows that two-line 'Authentication Required' dialog, and you cancel it, usually the page will reload and show it again. To break the cycle, tap the Esc key several times in a row quickly. That should cancel the dialog as well as the reload. Then you can easily close the tab.

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quote:

To break the cycle, tap the Esc key several times in a row quickly. That should cancel the dialog as well as the reload. Then you can easily close the tab.

unquote:

Ahh... now we're getting somewhere. Thanks for that. I'll try it next time. Somewhat better than using task manager to end the process as I've been doing. For the moment I'm a bit sick of it and I"m using Opera and Chrome.

But the real thing is not shutting down the thing when it pops up but preventing it popping up. I'm the only firefox user in the world that's got this?

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abrogard said

But the real thing is not shutting down the thing when it pops up but preventing it popping up.

Yes - as a mater of fact it's one of my suggestions in your other thread :

You could consider installing uBlock Origin :

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/

Definately worth a try  !

You'd be killing two birds with one stone (even though I'm dead set against killing any living creature ... )

I totally understand that you're sick and tired of this all, but I sure hope you'll be happy to use Firefox again soon, cause let's face it : Firefox is the best browser on the planet, right ...... ? These scammers sure know how to pick the right browser ..... the most loved browser.

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Agreed. Installing an ad/popup blocker is the best.

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Does this only happen when you start Firefox?

You can check the target line in the Firefox desktop shortcut (right-click: Properties) to make sure nothing is appended after the path to the Firefox program.

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cor-el said

Does this only happen when you start Firefox? You can check the target line in the Firefox desktop shortcut (right-click: Properties) to make sure nothing is appended after the path to the Firefox program.

Already done that numerous times. There's apparently nothing there.

Yes it only happens on Firefox. And always on Firefox.

I went to install that u-block origin but it's not clear to me the process.

It says you must download Firefox and nothing happens when I click 'add to firefox' so it appears they want us to install a new instance of Firefox.

In which case why don't they say so? And what, if anything, will be lost from the current install?

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Here's a link that will do more to help those getting such message to better understand them.

But Anything DON'T click on those popups or give out information. Those ads are intimidating but when they come up they don't have control or as they say your computer is Damaging their network. That is all FALSE so if you see them close them with the "X" if possible otherwise use the Cntl+Alt+Del and kill the Browser that is loading them. I know this might kill everything else but alot better then getting infections from the Malware popup. These are what I call "SCAREWARE" another type of Malware.

How to Spot and Avoid Fake Virus & Malware Warnings

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/spotters-guide-fake-virus-malware-warnings/

Modified by WestEnd

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The problem I'm referring to is not a fake malware or virus warning. Unless I'm still in a mixed up threads situation.... am I?

I'm on about a redirect problem.

and p.s. I tried Zemana, too. It didn't fix it either.

It strikes me as a little puzzling that Mozilla doesn't have a fix for this.

No one replied but is that it - I am the only Firefox user with this problem?

Mozilla doesn't ask me to send copies or details of any config files or registry entries.

Mozilla doesn't seem to have a download or online link that would search my computer and find such info for itself.

If I am not the only one then I'd point out it is very harmful to Mozilla.

The redirects are the worst I've ever seen - flagrant, in-your-face porn even though it is supposed to be merely a 'dating site' for instance.

Mums and dads seeing that pop up on their kids computers are going to be horrified. They'll ban firefox.

I'm a thick skinned, been-around dad. I'm horrified, so to speak, bloody disgusted. I've banned firefox.

Schools seeing it will ban firefox.

I think perhaps we ought to undo this 'crossed threads' thing I inadvertently created.

Perhaps a moderator can move all these posts over to there?

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FF has no control over how sites use "ScareWare" tactics. Only time you will get such "ScareWare" is going to black sites that has those malware lying in wait. Banning FF isn't the cause of the problem. What you asked was what the replies were informing you but you are dismissing them at your own peril. Like everyone said FF isn't sending you those ScareWare its is coming form sites your going to. FF is only a Browser it's the User that chooses where they go to.

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