Firefox Is Redirecting Links to Random Sites
Firefox, like other Web browsers, has to cope with adware -- software that displays advertisements to users. This can be a consensual arrangement, where the adware grants free access to certain sites to the user in exchange for the user viewing the ads -- or provides a utility, like a search bar, or awards points to the user for each ad viewed. However, if the user hasn't made an agreement with the company providing the adware and is not aware that the adware has been installed, it may be a form of spyware that has gotten onto the computer without the user's permission and can hijack Internet activity in order to display its advertisements. This is a major cause of unexpected redirects to unwanted sites.
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Firefox
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Web browsers offer basic capabilities to display simple Web pages. Some Web pages require extra functionality in the browser, and so you need to download additional programs in order to view the page. In Firefox, these programs are called add-ons. Firefox users reporting solutions to unauthorized redirects have discovered that the programs causing this behavior hide themselves as add-ons. They replace or supplement legitimate add-ons to make themselves difficult to detect. XULRunner is a particular favorite disguise, but they have also known to use “Google Toolbar for Firefox” and Java Console 1.0.”
Adware
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As the name suggests, adware exists to display advertisements. The distributors of these programs make money by charging the target websites for the traffic they can direct towards them. When a browser starts redirecting unexpectedly, the pattern of display only seems random to the user. In fact, the browser is following a different set of instructions, and there is nothing random about the website selection.
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Viruses and Trojans
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A browser that has become infected with adware without the owner's permission received that program either by a virus or a trojan. The difference between the two is that a virus exploits network software loopholes to get onto unprotected computers, whereas a trojan encourages the computer owner to invite it in. Firewalls and anti-virus software can be effective defenses against viruses, but where a user can override that protection, there is little to defend the computer. A trojan advertises itself as a free utility or information, and the user downloads it and installs it, not realizing that it is in fact, a damaging program.
Redirection
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Regular redirection forwards users from an old address to a new address, when a website moves. The distinction between regular and malicious redirection is that the site to which the user is redirected has nothing to do with the site wanted to visit.
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References
- Photo Credit Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images News/Getty Images
