(solved) malware took over Firefox

[pottzie]

(SOLVED)I went to a website that was a front for PC Scanner. It takes over the web browser and claims to check for viruses, even though it's obviously a virus itself, and proceeds to scan MY WINDOWS FILES (!). I did everything but set my computer on fire trying to kill or close the damn site. I had to reboot to exit, but Firefox keeps opening with the malware site starting up.
I think the best way to get rid of it is to uninstall and reinstall Firefox, but how do I uninstall Firefox?

[pompom]

Welcome to Linux Mint!

The first line of defense, before reinstalling Firefox is to go into Edit -> Preferences -> Content and uncheck Load Images Automatically, JavaScript, and Java. This is the avenue by which these malware propagate. You don't have to uninstall Firefox. Clear your cookies, history, and browser cache. One good common practice is to have more than one browser, such as Firefox, Opera, Galeon, Iceweasel, etc. You can run an earlier version of Firefox by creating a shortcut using the full path /usr/lib/firefox/ where you should find symlinks that you can alter. Once Firefox starts normally, reenable JavaScript and Java.

Cheers,

pompom

[pottzie]

If it were only that simple! When I try to use the buttons at the top of the page, the malware has hijacked those functions as well. None of the "edit, preferences, etc. buttons/dropdowns work.

[beefstu]

should be a case of going to package manager, searching firefox, right-click on firefox-3.5, click mark for reinstallation then apply.

if its still bad after that, go back into package manager, right click on firefox-3.5, click mark for complete removal the apply then once done, right click on it again then mark for installation.

It shouldn't have affected any of the other packages such as "firefox" or "firefox-3.5-branding"

First time ive heard of this happening in linux!

[pottzie]

That fixed it! Reinstall got me nowhere fast, but uninstall/reinstall did the trick. For what it's worth, I have other computers scattered around the house, running other Linux systems. The same malware popped up a few weeks ago when I was doing something, and I was on Ubuntu. I think that I had to reboot to close it, but when Ubuntu came back up, the malware site was gone. And another system that I like, Vector Linux, has a neat little feature called, I think, Ap Killer. When called from the system menu, your mouse cursor turns into a skull and crossbones, and wherever you drag the mouse across and click on is gone, period. Would be a nice feature to have had in this case.
Anyhoo, where do I go to mark this "solved"? And thanks a bunch, it only took a few seconds to do once I knew where/how to go.

[beefstu]

Thats good then

As for the ap killer thing, on the panel, you can add 'Force quit' icon to it, works in a very similar way, very useful at times!

to add solved, edit your first post and change the subject line.

[Silent Warrior]

When I mark my threads solved, I edit the top post and edit the title with whatever I want to use to mark the matter as solved.

[pottzie]

Quote:
"As for the ap killer thing, on the panel, you can add 'Force quit' icon to it, works in a very similar way, very useful at times!"
Sounds great, but I'm lost as to "on the panel?" I tried seeing it from the menu, but didn't have any luck. Where is that little devil?

[beefstu]

the panel is what in Windows would be the taskbar, its the grey bar thats normally at the bottom of your screen, just right-click on a blank space, select add to panel then find force quit. you can put it where you want on the panel by right-clicking and selecting move.

Just to check, are you on Mint Gnome?

Also, just a thought, you might want to check your windows partition, assuming you dual boot as it possible that that "virus scanner" could have done some damage on that side if it was mounted at the time

[pottzie]

Many thanks! I've now got "force quit" added to the panel.
As far as having Windows dual booted.....bah! A pox on you!
Debian, Sidux, (neither of which are worth a tinker's damn. Can't get Adobe to load for the life of me, and if I did Richard Stallman would cut his Nicaraguan vacation short just to have me "renditioned," ala CIA and Omar Mullah What's-his-name.
But again,thanks.