Mozilla firefox app scam code#

Since then, the company behind Firefox said it was working on a fix. Segura filed a report on the Bugzilla forum, Mozilla’s bug tracking site.

Mozilla firefox app scam code#

Jérôme Segura, head of threat intelligence at Malwarebytes, told Ars that several sites have taken advantage of the flaw using code specifically designed to exploit it. Alternatively, they can open Firefox and quickly close the offending tab before it loads, or temporarily disconnect from the internet when relaunching the browser. This can catch users in an endless loop unless they have disabled the restore tabs option. When Firefox doesn’t shut down properly, it attempts to restore the open tabs next time you open it. If you’re hit with the exploit, the only way around it is to force close the browser through either Windows Task Manager or the ‘Force Close’ function in macOS. The attack works on both Windows and Mac versions of Firefox. Further, it warns users to call a toll-free number within the next five minutes, or their computer will be disabled. The exploit requires no interaction from users and happens upon visiting a site. The Window desktop sends viruses over the Internet. The Windows desktop is using pirated software. Why did we block your computer? The Windows registry key is illegal. “Please stop and do not close the PC… The registry key of your computer is locked.

When the lock-down happens, the browser displays a message warning users that they’re using a pirated version of Windows. Users can’t exit tabs or close the browser through normal means. Scammers are taking advantage of a flaw in the most recent version of Firefox - release 70 - that can lock up the browser while displaying a frightening message.Īccording to an Ars Technica report, the exploit allows malicious sites to freeze the browser completely.