Opening my browser takes me to a flagged website despite having set a homepage.
Okay so I recently got a new laptop and immediately downloaded Firefox. I haven't downloaded anything sketchy, just trusted programs like Java, Microsoft Word, Unity Flash Player, etc. My McAfee free trial runs out very soon and I believe it is the only thing preventing me from getting a virus via the webpage Firefox defaults to when I open it. I have set my homepage to www.google.com/ and it still opens a site "http://search.sidecubes.com/?st=sc&q=" I have deleted all unnecessary plugins, the only remaining are Blocksite (problem predates this, and I downloaded it from Mozilla), and McAfee Web Protection. I have tried going into about:config like some people suggested in other similar (not the same) questions to manually enter a homepage, but it was still google.com/ there as well. I peeked in my Profile folder as well to see if I had a "user.js" file like some suggested as well, with no luck. Here is my Troubleshooting Information: Application Basics
Name: Firefox Version: 49.0.1 Build ID: 20160922113459 Update Channel: release User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; WOW64; rv:49.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/49.0 OS: Windows_NT 10.0 Multiprocess Windows: 0/1 (Disabled by add-ons) Safe Mode: false
Crash Reports for the Last 3 Days
All Crash Reports
Extensions
Name: Block site Version: 1.1.8.1-signed.1-signed Enabled: true ID: {dd3d7613-0246-469d-bc65-2a3cc1668adc}
Name: McAfee WebAdvisor Version: 5.0.248.0 Enabled: true ID: {4ED1F68A-5463-4931-9384-8FFF5ED91D92}
Name: Multi-process staged rollout Version: 1.3 Enabled: true ID: e10srollout@mozilla.org
Name: Pocket Version: 1.0.4 Enabled: true ID: firefox@getpocket.com
Name: Web Compat Version: 1.0 Enabled: true ID: webcompat@mozilla.org
Graphics
Features Compositing: Direct3D 11 Asynchronous Pan/Zoom: none WebGL Renderer: Google Inc. -- ANGLE (AMD Radeon(TM) R3 Graphics Direct3D11 vs_5_0 ps_5_0) Hardware H264 Decoding: No; Hardware video decoding disabled or blacklisted Direct2D: true DirectWrite: true (10.0.14393.206) GPU #1 Active: Yes Description: AMD Radeon(TM) R3 Graphics Vendor ID: 0x1002 Device ID: 0x9850 Driver Version: 15.201.1101.0 Driver Date: 8-6-2015 Drivers: aticfx64 aticfx64 aticfx64 amdxc64 aticfx32 aticfx32 aticfx32 amdxc32 atiumd64 atidxx64 atidxx64 atiumdag atidxx32 atidxx32 atiumdva atiumd6a atitmm64 Subsys ID: 104b1025 RAM: 1024
Diagnostics AzureCanvasAccelerated: 0 AzureCanvasBackend: direct2d 1.1 AzureContentBackend: direct2d 1.1 AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: cairo
Important Modified Preferences
accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar: 0 browser.cache.disk.capacity: 358400 browser.cache.disk.filesystem_reported: 1 browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run: false browser.cache.frecency_experiment: 1 browser.download.importedFromSqlite: true browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion: 8 browser.search.useDBForOrder: true browser.sessionstore.upgradeBackup.latestBuildID: 20160922113459 browser.startup.homepage: www.google.com/ browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID: 20160922113459 browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone: 49.0.1 browser.tabs.remote.autostart.2: true browser.urlbar.daysBeforeHidingSuggestionsPrompt: 0 browser.urlbar.lastSuggestionsPromptDate: 20160916 dom.apps.lastUpdate.buildID: 20160922113459 dom.apps.lastUpdate.mstone: 49.0.1 dom.apps.reset-permissions: true dom.mozApps.used: true extensions.lastAppVersion: 49.0.1 font.internaluseonly.changed: false gfx.crash-guard.d3d11layers.appVersion: 49.0.1 gfx.crash-guard.d3d11layers.deviceID: 0x9850 gfx.crash-guard.d3d11layers.driverVersion: 15.201.1101.0 gfx.crash-guard.d3d11layers.feature-d2d: true gfx.crash-guard.d3d11layers.feature-d3d11: true gfx.crash-guard.glcontext.gfx.driver-init.direct3d11-angle: true gfx.crash-guard.glcontext.gfx.driver-init.webgl-angle: true gfx.crash-guard.glcontext.gfx.driver-init.webgl-angle-force-d3d11: false gfx.crash-guard.glcontext.gfx.driver-init.webgl-angle-force-warp: false gfx.crash-guard.glcontext.gfx.driver-init.webgl-angle-try-d3d11: true gfx.crash-guard.status.d3d11layers: 2 gfx.crash-guard.status.d3d9video: 2 gfx.crash-guard.status.glcontext: 2 gfx.direct3d.last_used_feature_level_idx: 0 media.benchmark.vp9.fps: 87 media.benchmark.vp9.versioncheck: 1 media.gmp-eme-adobe.abi: x86-msvc-x64 media.gmp-eme-adobe.lastUpdate: 1473708648 media.gmp-eme-adobe.version: 17 media.gmp-gmpopenh264.abi: x86-msvc-x64 media.gmp-gmpopenh264.lastUpdate: 1473708649 media.gmp-gmpopenh264.version: 1.6 media.gmp-manager.buildID: 20160922113459 media.gmp-manager.lastCheck: 1475720216 media.gmp-widevinecdm.abi: x86-msvc-x64 media.gmp-widevinecdm.lastUpdate: 1475079333 media.gmp-widevinecdm.version: 1.4.8.903 media.gmp.storage.version.observed: 1 media.hardware-video-decoding.failed: false media.webrtc.debug.log_file: C:\Users\Jade\AppData\Local\Temp\WebRTC.log network.cookie.prefsMigrated: true network.predictor.cleaned-up: true places.database.lastMaintenance: 1475349381 places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages: 104858 plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types: application/pdf plugin.importedState: true print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_bgcolor: false print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_bgimages: false print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_duplex: -437918235 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_edge_bottom: 0 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_edge_left: 0 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_edge_right: 0 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_edge_top: 0 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_evenpages: true print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_footercenter: print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_footerleft: &PT print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_footerright: &D print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_headercenter: print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_headerleft: &T print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_headerright: &U print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_in_color: true print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_margin_bottom: 0.5 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_margin_left: 0.5 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_margin_right: 0.5 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_margin_top: 0.5 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_oddpages: true print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_orientation: 0 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_page_delay: 50 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_paper_data: 1 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_paper_height: -1.00 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_paper_name: print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_paper_size_unit: 0 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_paper_width: -1.00 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_resolution: 600 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_reversed: false print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_scaling: 1.00 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_shrink_to_fit: true print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_to_file: false print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom: 0 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_unwriteable_margin_left: 0 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_unwriteable_margin_right: 0 print.printer_Microsoft_Print_to_PDF.print_unwriteable_margin_top: 0 privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs: true storage.vacuum.last.index: 1 storage.vacuum.last.places.sqlite: 1473460994 ui.osk.debug.keyboardDisplayReason: IKPOS: Touch screen not found.
Important Locked Preferences
Places Database
JavaScript
Incremental GC: true
Accessibility
Activated: false Prevent Accessibility: 0
Library Versions
NSPR Expected minimum version: 4.12 Version in use: 4.12
NSS Expected minimum version: 3.25 Version in use: 3.25
NSSSMIME Expected minimum version: 3.25 Version in use: 3.25
NSSSSL Expected minimum version: 3.25 Version in use: 3.25
NSSUTIL Expected minimum version: 3.25 Version in use: 3.25
Experimental Features
All Replies (2)
Sorry if this seems like a lot to check, but since your extensions list looks reasonable, I suspect it's something external:
(1) Open the Windows Control Panel, Uninstall a Program. After the list loads, click the "Installed on" column heading to group the infections, I mean, additions, by date. This can help surface undisclosed bundle items that snuck in with some software you agreed to install. Take out as much trash as possible here -- especially but not only Sidecubes. (If in doubt, feel free to post a screenshot.)
(2) Search for remaining issues -- junk that didn't register an uninstaller -- with the scanning/cleaning tools listed in our support article: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware. These on-demand scanners are free and take considerable time to run. If they finish quickly and especially if they require payment, you may have a serious infection. I suggest the specialized forums listed in the article in that case.
(3) Check and clean your Firefox program shortcut. The Firefox icon can be set up to launch specific pages at startup (or more specifically, when you use the icon). To check whether that is set:
First, open the shortcut as follows:
- Desktop shortcut: right-click the icon, choose Properties
- Pinned taskbar icon: right-click the icon, right-click Mozilla Firefox, choose Properties
Windows normally will select the Shortcut tab. If not, go ahead and click the Shortcut tab.
You'll see the Target highlighted. On 64-bit Windows, that usually is no more and no less than the following:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"
If anything follows after that, try clearing it out.
After OK'ing the Properties dialog, you can test right away to confirm that Firefox now launches only your home page. Either:
- double-click desktop shortcut
- right-click pinned taskbar icon, click Mozilla Firefox
Success?
SideCubes Search is known Malware.
See this for help in removing that garbage: https://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-sidecubes-virus/