You may have ad/mal-ware. Further information can be found in this article; https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-firefox-issues-caused-malware?cache=no

Run most or all of the listed malware scanners. Each works differently. If one program misses something, another may pick it up.

. Whenever you get a message / popup that software / files need to be updated;

DO NOT USE ANY OF THE PROVIDED LINKS

While this may be a legitimate message, it could also be Malware or a Virus. Anytime you want or need to check for upgrades, go to the website of the True Owner of the program in question. For example, to check out Firefox, go to https://www.mozilla.org {web link}

You can report such a site at; Google Report Phishing Page {web link} which is the same when done while on site by going to Help > Report Web Forgery

Help us safeguard Mozilla’s trademarks by reporting misuse {web link}

For over a year, an epidemic of Fake Update Notices have been popping up all over the place. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/forum-response-i-found-fake-firefox-update

Thanks for the reply. It appears to be malware of some kind, but I'm unable to locate/delete it. Malwarebytes spots it and says,"Don't go there" but doesn't remove the malware. Any ideas?

Please use more than 1 scanner as each uses diff tech :

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-firefox-issues-caused-malware

Save your Report and google each before deleting anything as do not want to delete something you need, If need help :

• https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/9573-im-infected-what-do-i-do-now/

Post in only 1 forum, then wait.

Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions ("3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is is causing the problem.

• switch to the DEFAULT theme: "3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Appearance
• do NOT click the "Refresh Firefox" button on the Safe Mode start window

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-firefox-issues-using-safe-mode
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-extensions-themes-to-fix-problems

You can also check the DNS tab on the about:networking page. You can open "about:" pages via the location/address bar

• "about:" is a protocol to access special pages

Also, please update to Firefox 61.0.1.

Conduit is a known malware extension author, so you much have some software from them installed. Malwarebytes often removes it with a scan, otherwise, look in your add remove programs and the add-ons list in Firefox

"Conduit is a known malware extension author" - that I didn't know, so I'm making progress! I contacted malwarebytes tech support, and they've asked for log files which I've sent to them. Part of the problem is the "ffupdate . . ." looked like a Firefox file, so I guess I've been looking in all the wrong places for a remedy. I'll keep you posted.

Conduit has been problematic for a long time as I remember when long lists of conduit (aka Effectivebrand and under a couple other names I think) extensions got spammed on AMO before being removed each time in 2006 as I remember at least four discussion threads (a couple got rather long) about the conduit toolbars back in 2006 on mozillaZine.

JJJoseph said

"ffupdate . . ." looked like a Firefox file,

FF or ff (despite what many new users think) is not the proper abbreviation for Firefox as it is Fx or fx ever since the browser got it's third or rather current name of Firefox at 0.8 Release. See FAQ on here for example.