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Video Download Helper a firefox add-on also downloads the "istartsurf" hijacker on all internet search engines, get he message to Firefox developers.

  • 3 replies
  • 66 have this problem
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  • Last reply by FredMcD

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I have downloaded Video Download Helper from the Firefox "add-ons" tab. It also loads the hijacker "istartsurf" that then attaches itself to all other web browsing programs like IE 11 and Chrome. There is no way of uninstalling the hijacker and it is always there in the background. I have uninstalled and reinstalled Firefox twice as well as uninstalled Chrome completely and the problem is still there. How do we get this hijacker reported to Firefox? I only used Video Download Helper because I thought it would be safe as I got it through the add-ons menu of Firefox. Not impressed. Can anyone suggest a video download add on that will work on vimeo and does NOT have malware/adware/hijacker issues?

I have downloaded Video Download Helper from the Firefox "add-ons" tab. It also loads the hijacker "istartsurf" that then attaches itself to all other web browsing programs like IE 11 and Chrome. There is no way of uninstalling the hijacker and it is always there in the background. I have uninstalled and reinstalled Firefox twice as well as uninstalled Chrome completely and the problem is still there. How do we get this hijacker reported to Firefox? I only used Video Download Helper because I thought it would be safe as I got it through the add-ons menu of Firefox. Not impressed. Can anyone suggest a video download add on that will work on vimeo and does NOT have malware/adware/hijacker issues?

All Replies (3)

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Hey Pnvj11 I am sorry that you have had this experiance.

I have forwarded your concerns to other support mozillians and to bump it up the ladder so to speak.

The only other advice I could give would be for you to install an anti-malware program to see if that helps the situation. I would personally recomend

https://www.malwarebytes.org

Good luck Brad

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Update.

A way to exclude the possability of this occuring in the future and to report it to mozilla would be to go to the listing of the extension at AMO (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/) - there is a "report abuse" button on that page which will generate a notification to the addon reviewers at mozilla.

Cheers agagin and good luck Brad

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You may have ad / mal-ware. Further information can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware article.


Have you checked with the add-ons support site?

Mal-ware can come from anywhere.