my firefox has been hacked--bogus links to advertisements now appear
This only happens on Firefox, not Internet Explorer. Several bogus links appear on many web pages--created on the fly. The malware seems to look for specific words, make them into links, and on mouseover they appear--these ads are all related to the words that are parts of the original page. I tried updating Firefox to the most recent version (19.0.2) but that did not fix the problem. I'm using Windows XP Home Edition SP3.
All Replies (1)
Sometimes a problem with Firefox may be a result of malware installed on your computer, that you may not be aware of.
You can try these free programs to scan for malware, which work with your existing antivirus software:
Microsoft Security Essentials is a good permanent antivirus for Windows 7/Vista/XP if you don't already have one.
Further information can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware article.
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The Reset Firefox feature can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information. Note: This will cause you to lose any Extensions, Open websites, and some Preferences.
To Reset Firefox do the following:
- Go to Firefox > Help > Troubleshooting Information.
- Click the "Reset Firefox" button.
- Firefox will close and reset. After Firefox is done, it will show a window with the information that is imported. Click Finish.
- Firefox will open with all factory defaults applied.
Further information can be found in the Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings article.
Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!