Is the notice that I keep getting about a new Firefox patch for real or is it malware?
I keep getting a message that I need a security patch - the logo on the message looks like Firefox, but when the file shows up, (in the box which asks me if I want to save or run the download), it doesn't appear to be from Mozilla. It's always from some long web address that ends in filipinokisses.net or mychicken.com. When I check out the full addresses at Scam Advisor, I get a warning, but when I just put in the end of the address (like filipinokisses.net) it tells me it's okay. Usually, when I get notices of available updates and patches from providers, I go to the official website and get it directly there, rather than clicking on some pop-up, but I'm not finding anything about a patch at the mozilla website - nothing about a patch, but no warnings about a fake patch either, so I don't know what to think.
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You already have the current release, 42.0. Any other "patch" sounds extremely suspicious.
If these messages come from within Firefox, it's most likely a bad add-on. If they open from outside Firefox, a broader range of software may be at fault. Here's my suggested procedure for tracking down and cleaning up bad add-ons, hijackers, and ad injectors. I know it seems long, but it's not that bad.
(1) Open the Windows Control Panel, Uninstall a Program. After the list loads, click the "Installed on" column heading to group the infections, I mean, additions, by date. This can help in smoking out undisclosed bundle items that snuck in with some software you agreed to install. Take out as much trash as possible here.
(2) Open Firefox's Add-ons page using either:
- Ctrl+Shift+a
- "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons
- in the Windows "Run" dialog, type or paste
firefox.exe "about:addons"
In the left column, click Plugins. Set nonessential and unrecognized plugins to "Never Activate".
In the left column, click Extensions. Then, if in doubt, disable (or Remove, if possible) unrecognized and unwanted extensions. Bear in mind that none of these came with Firefox, they are all optional.
Often a link will appear above at least one disabled extension to restart Firefox. You can complete your work on the tab and click one of the links as the last step.
Any improvement?
(3) You can search for remaining issues with the scanning/cleaning tools listed in our support article: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware. These on-demand scanners are free and take considerable time to run. If they finish quickly and especially if they require payment, you may have a serious infection. I suggest the specialized forums listed in the article in that case.
Success?
If you get a pop-up message asking to update Firefox or plugins or scanning for malware then such a message is likely a scam and you should never respond to such an alert to avoid getting infected with malware.
- Only update Firefox via "Help > About" or by downloading and installing Firefox from the Mozilla server (mozilla.org) and never via a pop-up or link on a web page.
- Plugins should only be updated via the plugin itself or by visiting the home page of the plugin.
You can find the full version of the current Firefox release (42.0) in all languages and all operating systems here: