Firefox extension virus

[FrkUout]

Security vendor McAfee has detected a new piece of malicious software that masquerades as part of the Firefox Internet browser.


McAfee calls the Trojan horse "FormSpy." Trojan horses are programs, often attached to spam e-mail, that appear innocuous but are harmful to a computer.


FormSpy is downloaded to a computer that is already infected with another Trojan horse called "Downloader-AXM," McAfee said. That Trojan was recently detected in e-mail spam messages.


Downloader-AXM contacts servers to download other malicious programs to a computer without a user's knowledge, according to McAfee.

Stealing Information

Once downloaded, FormSpy installs itself as a Firefox extension.


The program appears as "NumberedLinks 0.9" extension, McAfee said. The extension normally would allow a user to navigate links by numbers using the keyboard rather than a mouse.


Then, FormSpy can transmit information in a Web browser to another Web site, which could include credit card numbers, passwords, and electronic banking pin numbers, according to McAfee.


FormSpy can also steal e-mail, ICQ instant messaging service, and FTP (file transfer protocol) passwords, it said.

[Roggie]

Is this, by any chance, the virus you get when you download Firefox? I downloaded FF on my friend's comp and it had a virus which shut down his computer, or so the guy at Dell Tech said (He won't believe me that I said the tech guy was wrong and it was from all his popups), or is this one that just you get while using Firefox?

[FrkUout]

You get it by using firefox but you have to have another virus on your computer for this one to be installed.

[Nobody]

I have Mcafee alll in one 2006, so i think i am safe.