Identify and remove virus "Video Update Recommended", which is spontaneously opening tab in browser
I have noticed symptoms of Malware / Adware within my Firefox browser. It seems to spontaneously open a tab telling me I need to download software with text "Video Update Recommended".
There are 2 webpage links that are effectively pointing me to update my video software. These appear spontaneously.
http://in.n3xtlvl.net/out/go.php?id=sct300
&
Searching on both yields indications of being infected on some level. I tried doing my Symantec check and it came up with nothing.
Here is a screenshot of the page I get:
The install link points to: http://ttb.dllultimatesoft.com/download..
I have also tried malwarebytes, Microsoft Security Essentials and adware. However, it persists. It may not be linked to Grooveshark, but I notice it seems to appear while listening to Grooveshark.
Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
BTW, adware reports my prefs.js file as a virus. It has been removed a couple of times and still sees it as virus. I reset Firefox. Then I uninstalled and reinstalled. Didn't make a difference.
thanks,
John
All Replies (3)
If this is just particularly annoying advertising from one site, you may be able to use something like the Adblock Plus extension to block it.
However, it's worth investigating further in case it's something systemic (websites can't modify prefs.js, for example).
If bad behavior survives a reset, it usually indicates some external software is modifying Firefox, or that an extension was installed with a registry entry that Firefox finds after the reset.
Try disabling ALL nonessential or unrecognized extensions on the Add-ons page. Either:
- Ctrl+Shift+a
- orange Firefox button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons
In the left column, click Extensions. Then, if in doubt, disable. (Or, if possible, remove.)
Usually 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.
If the remove button is not available, you generally need to use the Windows Control Panel, Uninstall a Program, to flush it out. Clicking the "Installed on" column heading will bring the most recent additions to the top and group by date so you can see whether a free program delivered a bundle of unwanted extras.
Hi,
Thanks for the quick response.
I explored the extensions under Add-ons. There were 3: 1. Symantec Vulnerability Protection - enabled 2. PDF Architect Converter for Firefox - diabled 3. Symantec VIP Access Add-On - disabled
I really don't run much of any freeware other than Wireshark and Notepad++, so I am somewhat at a loss.
If y'all have any other suggestions, I would be happy to explore or capture information.
thanks, John
That's odd. Could you check in Firefox's Safe Mode? Some extensions hide their presence, but in that deactivates them so they can't hide. More info: Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode.
You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using
Help > Restart with Add-ons Disabled (Flash and other plugins still run)
In the dialog, click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Reset)
Last year, a number of users experienced advertising tabs opening, often even when Firefox had been closed. This was traced to external malware that had added tasks to the Windows Task Scheduler.
- Windows Vista/7: Start button > Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools > Task Scheduler
- Past threads on the "dsite" problem: https://support.mozilla.org/search?sortby=1&a=1&w=2&q=dsite
You may also want to supplement your Norton software with the some additional scanning/cleaning tools. This articles lists programs other Firefox users have found helpful (nearly all free): Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware.