http://newbrowserversion.org/f/index.html is this a legit firefox link?
I keep getting redirected to this link and prompted to update
All Replies (10)
It's not an "official" link, the official link to download Firefox is this one: https://mozilla.org/firefox/
Firefox is an open-source project, so people can disturb it and make their own, but Mozilla takes no responsibility about any damages to your computer if you use those. So it's better to keep away from unknown sources.
No, that is not "pure" Firefox. It is an installer that can add Firefox to your system along with other stuff you are much less likely to want...
Many users have been having this problem recently and I'm not sure the exact cause has been tracked down. In fact, there may be many possible causes, but the problem usually centers around add-ons, specifically extensions.
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.
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.
Does that stop them? Two other things:
(1) When an extension does not have a Remove button, that usually indicates it was installed through the Windows installer and there usually is an entry in the Windows Control Panel, Uninstall a Program. Click the Installed On column heading to sort by date and bring the most recent infections, I mean installations, to the top. This can reveal how a bundle snuck onto your computer unnoticed.
(2) Sometimes there are so many issues that it is more efficient to use cleanup software such as the anti-malware tools listed in this article: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware.
(3) Sometimes external software will create a user.js file to override your attempts to use your preferred settings. This article has the steps for checking on that possibility: How to fix preferences that won't save.
Please let us know how you did in clearing this, and "name names" if you can!
Last but not least, if you also use IE, check IE's "Manage Add-ons" dialog to see whether it is infected the same way.
Firefox does not get updates by way of a small .exe file as that is done by way of internal software update (ex: Help->About Firefox->Check for updates) or by downloading from mozilla.org
Mozilla would never have such a site that is so basic and vague and does not even mention Firefox or anything Mozilla including mozilla.org
hello, if this malicious site is opening up on its own, this might already be a sign of some sort of adware being present on your pc.
therefore i'd suggest to go to firefox > addons > extensions & to remove any suspicious entries (toolbars, things that you have not installed intentionally, don't know what purpose they serve, etc).
also go to the windows control panel / programs and remove all toolbars or potentially unwanted software from there.
finally, run a full scan of your system with different security tools like the free version of malwarebytes & adwcleaner.
I'm having the exact same problem on a fresh Windows 7 install. The only things are this computer are Firefox, Symantec Endpoint Protection, Malwarebytes (Which I ran in Safe Mode and detected no threats.) Microsoft Office 2010 Professional, Adobe Reader, and Flash Player.
There are no Extensions installed and the only Plugins are: Adobe Acrobat 11.0.6.70 Microsoft Office 2010 14.0.4761.1000 (Allows opening an editting) Microsoft Office 2010 14.0.4761.1000 (Authorization plug-in) Shockwave Flash 12.0.0.43 Silverlight Plug-In 5.1.20913.0 Windows Live Photo Gallery 15.4.3508.1109 (All are current as of today 1/27/2014)
Seemingly randomly a new tab opens for http://newbrowserversion.org/f/index.html asking to apply an update. I'm fairly certain that there is another page that although similar is not exactly the same that sometimes pops up instead of this one. I'll update this post when/if it pops up again.
I should also note I've gone through Control Panel > Programs and there are no odd entries. I've also gone into MSCONFIG and stopped all startup programs. The problem is still occurring.
Hi DefaOmega, could you try an additional experiment? Keep the Browser Console (Ctrl+Shift+j) open and minimized. When the pop-up opens, check the console (toward the bottom) for the URL of that page. If you click the URL in the console, Firefox should display the headers associated with the page, including, often, the referring page. This might help identify the source site or ad network, if it is originating from one of your open tabs.
Here are the GETs that popped up at the same time as the http://newbrowserversion.org/f/index.html.
http://ads.cpxinteractive.com/seg?add=822802&t=2 http://ib.adnxs.com/seg?add=822802&t=2 Both have http://newbrowserversion.org/f/index.html listed as the Referer.
The referer for http://newbrowserversion.org/f/index.html is:
Does this help?
Hi DefaOmega, the first two addresses are small images, likely used for tracking. Let's ignore those.
The referrer (mot.sitescoutadserver.com) is a major ad server network, and that URL implies it was retrieved by a page on another network (nym1.ib.adnxs.com). I'm not sure how deep the rabbit hole goes...
Since you do not have any extensions, most likely the ad was displayed by a real page. Because sites sometimes rotate ads on a schedule, this might have happened after you had the tab open for a while rather than at first load. Or the pop-up might be on a timer. Either way, it's clear why ad blockers are popular...
jscher2000 - I had the same page open and yes, it was while I had many legitimate pages open, and had been NOT using my computer for at least 20 minutes. Would you like me to also "try this" as you suggested, or do you have all the information you wanted??
Hi mommybud, yes, if you can track down the source of the unwanted page, that could be helpful in discovering whether it's coming from one of the pages you're viewing or from another source. That other source could be an add-on or it could be other software on your computer; that would have to be tracked down separately.