No it is not legit. The fake updates exe can install things like trojans, viruses or unwanted software based on past reports.

The desktop Firefox is not just for Windows as it is for Mac OSX and Linux also so .exe would not be an effective way to send out Firefox updates. The updates are done internally in Firefox with a .mar file or by download from mozilla.org like say www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/

Even if Mozilla were to use .exe for Firefox updates on Windows, they would be serving them from a *.mozilla.org url and not from random websites with weird names.

Thanks so much for your prompt and helpful reply. You folks rock!

I have just started getting this full screen pop up too. I can't remember how I blocked it last time (about 2 years ago). I have a malware program and Norton Internet Security, but neither have caught this.

Thanks for posting. I simply deleted the "urgent" notice without opening it, and it hasn't shown up again.

Yes this fake Firefox update .exe is not a new thing though normally it came and went. Recently it has been more aggressive as some users posted they got this from websites that was only registered a day or two earlier.

Does anyone have the name of the file?

I'm afraid that I deleted the notice without recording the file name. Sorry.

jeanettefriedman said

Does anyone have the name of the file?

The fake exe 's can have names like firefox_patch.exe or firefox_update.exe or similar.

James said

jeanettefriedman said

Does anyone have the name of the file?

The fake exe 's can have names like firefox_patch.exe or firefox_update.exe or similar.

Mine says "firefox-patch.exe" and then "which is: Binary File (337KB) From: https://ooveefreelink.org

When I tried to go to this website to check it out, I got a blank page. where is this coming from? Norton has never heard of it, and Malware Bytes didn't detect it.

likely this is spread through ad networks, you can try to install an adblocking addon to block crap like this: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/

calebwilliams said

Mine says "firefox-patch.exe" and then "which is: Binary File (337KB) From: https://ooveefreelink.org

If you get this again and if you are willing can you save the .exe to disk (do not open or run it) and contact Tyler Downer in email with file as attachment. He would like examples of this fake .exe to submit them to anti-virus partners. See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/contributors/712056?last=69495#post-69483

Also as a added step if you can upload it to https://www.virustotal.com/ and post the url of the scan result.

jeanettefriedman said

Does anyone have the name of the file?

The file offered to me is analyzed here: https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/d5276fb20bc7c341426faec75514623133055808ec589af185c71f7431b55af5/analysis/1467903674/.

Don't worry: I did not run it, and will scan PC with various good tools. I would be inclined to suspect "malvertising" except that I'm using uBlock Origin extension. (Maybe I should go back to Adblock Plus?)

James said If you get this again and if you are willing can you save the .exe to disk (do not open or run it) and contact Tyler Downer in email with file as attachment. He would like examples of this fake .exe to submit them to anti-virus partners. See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/contributors/712056?last=69495#post-69483

Unfortunately I have already deleted my example, but I did submit it to VirusTotal (see above) and also to Microsoft because MSE 4.9 did not detect it. If I'm redirected again, I will keep your suggestion in mind.

Abzyx said

The file offered to me is analyzed here: https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/d5276fb20bc7c341426faec75514623133055808ec589af185c71f7431b55af5/analysis/1467903674/.

Says the file was freshly built today, so not only are they generating new domain names at a rapid pace, but also morphing the malware...

jscher2000 said

Says the file was freshly built today, so not only are they generating new domain names at a rapid pace, but also morphing the malware...

Perhaps the older .exe versions were getting flagged or blocked.

Thanks fo the virustotal scan link Abzyx.

philipp said

likely this is spread through ad networks, you can try to install an adblocking addon to block crap like this: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/

I thought it might be something hiding in Firefox so: 1) Deleted FF 2) Deleted all Firefox folders including profiles (searched entire HD) 3) Searched the registry for anything firefox or mozilla and deleted all 4) Ran CCleaner 5) Ran Microsoft's removal tool 6) Did a scan with 2 malware programs 7) Did a rootkit scan with tdsskiller (Kaspersky)

BUT the damn page showed up about 3 hours later. Very frustrating. It just pops up - I wasn't even using Firefox at the time....

Frank in Michigan

Here's what I got: https://chiewgamoniac.org/3681219572238/cf0d5dacf3cd717848558b371f1bdf13.html

I am still getting them. No one here at Mozilla Support has helped :-( Going to install Chrome and use it to see if it too has this virus pop up...

FMinMI said

I am still getting them. No one here at Mozilla Support has helped :-( Going to install Chrome and use it to see if it too has this virus pop up...

I guess you missed the suggestions in this and other threads about this like installing a adblocking extension such as https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/

Even Google Chrome users on Windows has been getting hit with fake "Urgent Chrome Update" sites serving the fake chrome-update.bat file initially and now with a chrome_patch.hta file files often from same disposable sites being used for to serve the fake firefox-partch.exe and more recently firefox-patch.js files.

Proof in case you do not believe me https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/contributors/712056?page=4#post-69718 and https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chrome/HcXgFFaO9WU

So using Google Chrome is not going to avoid this.

No, I have it and Ad Muncher. Still popping up. That is why I was going to try Chrome, in case the combo would work better with it.

Thanks for the reply though...

Frank