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Mozilla says a pair of malicious Firefox add-ons slipped by its security checks and infected approximately 4,600 Windows computers over the last five months.
The browser add-ons, described my Mozilla as “experimental,” contained a Trojan horse that executed when Firefox started and infected the host computer.
According to a post on the Mozilla add-ons blog, the malicious add-ons were Version 4.0 of Sothink Web Video Downloader and all versions of Master Filer.
The Sothink Web Video Downloader contained Win32.LdPinch.gen, and Master Filer contained the Win32.Bifrose Trojan. Both add-ons have been been disabled but Mozilla said they were active since September 2009.
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Mozilla said the malicious add-ons sneaked past its security processes:
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Separately, malware researchers at Eset are warning about a fake Firefox download page that comes with nasty adware surprises.
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Victims of this scam install the “Hotbar” toolbar by Pinball Corp, formerly Zango. Not only are users subject to the annoying toolbar, they’re also barraged with pop-up ads and host to a new Hotbar weather application running in the system tray.
Eset noted that the owner of the fake Firefox site is most likely not associated with Pinball Corp and only using its pay-per-install ad network for fast cash.
Pay-per-install affiliate programs reward referring sites that generate installs of their programs, with Pinball paying as high as $1.45 per install, the company said.