Firefox-patch.js (virus) - 2021 update
Firefox-patch.js Removal Guide
What is Firefox-patch.js?
Firefox-patch.js – a fake Firefox update file that might bring malware to the computer
Firefox-patch.js is a dangerous file that pretends to be a legitimate browser update. This fake “Urgent Firefox update” might spread various potentially unwanted programs or malware. Hence, installing and running this file on the computer might lead to a serious cyber attack.
Firefox-patch.js is promoted and urged to download on a compromised website. Usually, redirects to this site begins after adware[1] infiltration. However, browser redirect might occur when browsing through insecure sites, such as gaming, gambling or adult-themed.
You can suspect that your computer is infected with adware if you are redirected to fake Firefox update website often. Additionally, after the hijack, you might have to deal with these issues too:
- redirect to questionable sites that promote Mozilla Firefox or other software updates;
- display aggressive ads on visited websites;
- turn text into hyperlinks;
- promote various third-party programs that might be dangerous or put user’s privacy at risk;
- track browsing-related information about users.
Just like many similar ad-supported applications, Firefox-patch.js virus is capable of altering targeted browser’s settings and using a virtual layer to display ads on each website the user visits. The excessive amount of advertisements is needed to generate revenue for the developers because clicks on them bring some money.
However, security experts warn that users should stay away from these ads no matter how appealing they look because you might accidentally click on malware-laden ads.[2]. As you can see adware is not dangerous itself, but it can display infected content and cause indirect harm to your PC.
Additionally, this adware is also known for data tracking capabilities. This potentially unwanted application might collect and share various information about users. Hence, you might have to deal with even more pop-ups and redirects. What is worse, your privacy might be put at risk.
For this reason, immediate removal is recommended. We highly recommend scanning the system with FortectIntego or another anti-malware to clean all adware-related components from the system entirely.
However, you can also remove Firefox-patch.js by deleting the ad-supported program and its associated files manually. Though security experts from usunwirusa.pl[3] warn that this task might be complicated because adware-related entries might be hiding deep in the system. But if you insist on manual elimination, please follow manual removal guide presented below.
Adware which redirects to fake update website spreads bundled with freeware
The adware which is responsible for displaying fake Firefox update alert spread bundled with freeware or shareware. This software marketing method allows hiding PUP under Standard/Quick settings which are widely used by computer users.
The issue with this installer is that it does not ask direct permission if the user wants to install additional components with the primary program or not. It downloads it no matter what. For this reason, you have to get used to opt for Custom/Advanced installation to prevent accidental infiltration of adware, browser hijackers, and other PUPs.
Detailed Instructions to delete Firefox-patch.js
We have said that removal can be performed either manually or automatically. Manual elimination instructions are given below. They will explain how to terminate adware-related entries from the system, as well as web browsers. Nevertheless, adware seems to target Mozilla Firefox users the most; we recommend checking each of the browsers installed on your PC too.
If the manual removal guide seems complicated or you are looking for the quick solution to remove Firefox-patch.js from the PC, you should opt for the second option. To delete adware automatically, you have to obtain anti-malware software, scan the system with it, and reset affected browsers.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of Firefox-patch.js. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To delete Firefox-patch.js adware from the system, you should follow the guide below and reset each of the affected browsers.
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
To eliminate PUP from Mac OS X, follow these steps:
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Check the list of Mozilla Firefox extensions. Uninstall questionable apps that might be responsible for disturbing browsing sessions with ads or redirects. Also, browser reset is needed.
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data…
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox…
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Delete from Safari
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Firefox-patch.js registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting adware
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
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- ^ Margaret Rouse. Adware. TechTarget. Network of technology-related websites.
- ^ Forrest Stroud. Malvertising (malware). Webopedia. Online tech dictionary for IT professionals.
- ^ Usunwirusa. Usunwirusa. Cyber security news and research.