Random Firefox Search?

[mysngoeshere56]

Is anybody here using Firefox? I've recently had issues with randomly being directed to a search page for "d3l3l kinz 3f 56t cloud front pixel" while surfing the web.

I'm not sure what on earth this is, so I did some research. Apparently other users are experiencing the same issue. I'm currently running scans for malware, and so far I haven't found anything... The other people with this issue have said the same.

Does anybody know some information about this? Is it a glitch in the programing of Firefox's recent upgrade?

[DangoDaikazoku]

I actually don't use firefox, but it sounds like a virus that I used to get a lot. Try running a quick scan and such for viruses... Unless I am an idiot because a virus and malware are probably the same thing... That's all I got...

[Tsukuyomi]

Moving to Computing ^__^

I have yet to experience this :-? What version are you using ^__^?

[mysngoeshere56]

Ah, okay. Thanks. ^_^ I haven't really explored this section of the forum so I didn't know of this board. Thank you for show it to me!

I upgraded it yesterday (I believe) so it's probably the most recent version.

And Dango - I just ran a virus scan, and it didn't find any viruses. I ran a quick scan, though. I'll do a full scan for viruses once my full scan for malware is over. I could do them both at the same time, but that'd make them go wayyyyyyyyyyy slow. XD

[Midori]

That really does sound like malware, but there is one other possibility. If you have the option "middlemouse.contentLoadURL" option set to "true" in Firefox's about:config page, then middle-clicking on the browser outside of a link will load a URL from your clipboard. So if that URL is something you copied a while ago, that's something that could be happening.

[mysngoeshere56]

That really does sound like malware, but there is one other possibility. If you have the option "middlemouse.contentLoadURL" option set to "true" in Firefox's about:config page, then middle-clicking on the browser outside of a link will load a URL from your clipboard. So if that URL is something you copied a while ago, that's something that could be happening.

I think I get what you might be saying, but I'm a little confused... Is there a video tutorial about this you can find for me? Seeing it visually might help me wrap my mind around it a little more (I'm a kinesthetic/visual person).

And so far my scans haven't shown any traces of viruses or malware. It hasn't happened since last night, though, so maybe it was just a one-time thing... It's happened to a few more people (I did a websearch for it and one person posted about it on a Norton forum, and another posted a question about it on Yahoo! Answers), so maybe it's just some kind of weird glitch that happens occasionally in Firefox 4?

[Midori]

I think I get what you might be saying, but I'm a little confused... Is there a video tutorial about this you can find for me? Seeing it visually might help me wrap my mind around it a little more (I'm a kinesthetic/visual person).

I've decided that's probably not the problem anyway, given that other people seem to have the problem with the same exact string, and that people have had the problem on other browsers as well. And it's probably not malware on your computer either. After a bit of investigating, it appears this might be an issue with the Amazon website, not with your browser. Is it on Amazon that this happens to you?
See here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/forum/cd/discussion.html?ie=UTF8&cdForum=Fx20DX5GEB7TUX8&cdThread=Tx3L7TDUVJEN7WY

Even if it's not on Amazon, it's seems likely that it's a cross-site scripting attack (where someone outside the page you're viewing injects Javascript into the page). And while XSS attacks can hijack your browser, it is unlikely to affect your computer directly. The only way to prevent them on a browser level is to install the NoScript Firefox Extension, which disables Javascript except on pages you trust, and also has extra anti-XSS protection.

If it isn't happening anymore, it's likely that Amazon quietly fixed the problem on their site. However, if it happened to you on an Amazon page where you input your Amazon password or credit card info, you may want to monitor your card account closely for unexpected changes, and change your Amazon password (after the problem is resolved or prevented). It is unlikely anyone could have gone so far as to steal your info, but it is possible. If they were out to get your info, they messed up by letting you notice something was wrong, so it's likely they failed, but it's best to be careful.

[mysngoeshere56]

Yes, I was on Amazon when it happened. Thanks for showing that to me. I'll be paying close attention to my balances, and my recent orders. I'll be contacting Amazon staff to make sure my account is safe, too. Thank you *so* much...