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Possible Firefox infection with a java script

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  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by Scribe

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When I opened Firefox just now, it came up with a splash screen that was the Firefox logo saying there was critical update. I did download but did not install when I realized it was a java script. I'm trying to find someone who can investigate to prevent other Firefox users from inadvertently infecting Firefox/their computer but can't find a real person or email

When I opened Firefox just now, it came up with a splash screen that was the Firefox logo saying there was critical update. I did download but did not install when I realized it was a java script. I'm trying to find someone who can investigate to prevent other Firefox users from inadvertently infecting Firefox/their computer but can't find a real person or email

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Hi, you are right, it's a fake update designed to infect you with malware! You should NEVER EVER click on anything like that, but as you haven't run it, hopefully you are OK. They have been around on and off, for what must be a couple of years now. Please see the article - I found a fake Firefox update.

If you are in any doubt about the authenticity of update pop-ups etc., it's always best to ignore them and check for genuine updates yourself, by opening the 3-bar menu > Help (question mark at bottom right) > About Firefox. Alternatively, you can press the Alt key to bring up the main menu bar > Help > About Firefox. More - Update Firefox to the latest release.

A workaround which seems to be effective in alleviating this issue for many, is to install the ad-blocker -

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

If your question is resolved by this or another answer, please take a minute to let us know. Thank you.