Freshbrowserupdate.com

Freshbrowserupdate.com is a fake browser update site for Firefox that's used to install malware onto your computer. Besides distributing malware, Freshbrowserupdate.com also is promoted by malware, as malware researchers have found multiple cases of victims being redirected to Freshbrowserupdate.com by browser hijackers. Freshbrowserupdate.com-redirecting attacks can take several formats, such as search engine hijacks or homepage changes, and can be indicative of the presence of high-level PC threats, in addition to minor ones. As a fraudulent site that is immediately dangerous to any PC that's exposed to it, Freshbrowserupdate.com should be avoided at all costs, and anti-malware software should be used to resolve any problems related to Freshbrowserupdate.com or attacks that promote similar sites.

When Your Supposed Update Downgrades Your PC into a Pit of Malware

Freshbrowserupdate.com masquerades as an update site for the Firefox browser, but Freshbrowserupdate.com's actual purpose is to install malicious software onto any visiting PC – either with or without your permission. SpywareRemove.com malware experts have witnessed very similar attacks from other sites, most notably Securebrowserupdate.com – a nearly identical site that's dedicated to fake Opera updates instead of faux updates for Firefox.

Although Freshbrowserupdate.com will claim that your browser (no matter what version you have) is out-of-date and should be updated from its links, the download actually is malicious and doesn't have anything to do with the Firefox-brand web browser. Even if you refuse to install the offered update, Freshbrowserupdate.com may install malware by using browser exploits to initiate drive-by-downloads. As a precaution against this risk, SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend that you scan your machine with anti-malware programs after any contact with Freshbrowserupdate.com whatsoever.

Freshbrowserupdate.com's payload appears to be Troj_STARTPA.AET, a browser hijacker that redirect the victim's browser to a malicious site. This site then installs other malware. Freshbrowserupdate.com also may include exploits that target mobile phone-based platforms with fraudulent premium charges.

Getting the Stale Scent of Freshbrowserupdate.com out of Your Hard Drive

Since most PC users will (as is appropriate) acquire their browser updates from reputable sources, you're not likely to have any reason to visit Freshbrowserupdate.com of your own free will. The criminals behind Freshbrowserupdate.com appear to have compensated for this by using Firefox-specific browser hijackers to redirect Firefox to Freshbrowserupdate.com. SpywareRemove.com malware analysts expect similar Opera-specific attacks to be unearthed with regards to Securebrowserupdate.com in the near future.

Some recent attacks also have been found to involve Freshbrwoserupdate.com and Securebrowserupdate.com through malicious advertisements. These advertisements detect your browser and offer a fake 'upgrade' that points to one of the appropriate sites. Estimates of successful infections throughout Europe and North America already number in the hundreds.

Redirects to Freshbrowserupdate.com by any means, including observed homepage hijacks that lock your starting page to Freshbrowserupdate.com, should be considered a sign of other malware on your computer (in addition to whatever may be installed by Freshbrowserupdate.com). Other possible redirects include having your searches redirected to Freshbrowserupdate.com, being redirected to Freshbrowserupdate.com from spam links or redirects to Freshbrowserupdate.com when you attempt to browser a random website.

Due to the risk of high-level threats like rootkits being associated with Freshbrowserupdate.com-related attacks, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers suggest using anti-malware programs to disinfect your PC immediately after you experience contact with Freshbrowserupdate.com or its sister site, Securebrowserupdate.com.