Bad Browser Add On - Firefox Monitor 2.2

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hello, I’m having an issue where avast picks up Firefox Monitor (2.2) on Firefox 62 as a bad browser add on.

I cannot find this add-on in the extensions section of Firefox, and if I remove it using Avast it seems to replace itself soon after.

I saw this post from Mozilla - https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2018/06/25/testing-firefox-monitor-a-new-security-tool/ - and I wondered if this was a built-in Firefox function that is being wrongly flagged?

Advice on resolving this would be appreciated.

2

Start a topic in V&W and post your logs there: https://forum.avast.com/index.php?action=post;board=4
Instructions (basic diagnostic logs): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=194892.0

3

Thanks Asyn, but I don’t believe this is a virus issue - I’ve already scanned with Malwarebytes and it found nothing, it seems more likely to be an issue between Avast’s Bad Browser Add-ons function and an add-on packaged within the new version of Firefox.

It would also help if Avast gave more information on why it felt the add-on was poor - just what is the rating based on?

4

OK, as I’m on FF ESR, wait for one of the guys with FF 62+ to confirm.

5

James,
It’s a “new” feature that “they” are trialling in Firefox v62, but for now I believe,
only in the U.S.A.
ref; > https://www.notebookcheck.net/Firefox-62-comes-with-Firefox-Monitor-that-notifies-if-you-ve-been-pwned.324598.0.html
& > https://www.tomshardware.com/news/mozilla-firefox-monitor-browser-security,37365.html

It’s already been asked about in the mozillaZine support forum.

6

Thanks Mike, that makes sense.

I will try the advice to - “Those who wish to disable Firefox Monitor altogether can do so by going to about:config?filter=extensions.fxmonitor.enabled and setting the preference to False.” - and see if this resolves the issue with it and Avast.

7

Yes I’m in Canada and am not experiencing any unexpected behavior or Avast alerts using FF 62. :slight_smile:

8

As @Mike23 said, it is only being trialled for some US users at the moment.

If the “extensions.fxmonitor.enabled” pref is not present in about:config, you don’t need to do anything: the extension is not active.

I’m not in North America. The add-on has been loaded (it is in about:debugging) but is inactive for me.

9

I’m not among the US residents that are included, as ‘extensions.fxmonitor.enabled’ does not show in About:Config. Some would consider this a privacy issue.

10

As an update, I changed the language in Firefox to EN-GB from EN-US (something that I should have done a long time ago), and that seems to have excluded me from the trial - no issues with Avast scans after doing that.

It may reoccur if Mozilla decide to do a global rollout, but hopefully Avast will be aware by then and the issue will be resolved.

11

Hi James, thanks for the feedback.

12

I had this avast alert, bad reputation “privacy coverage” addon yesterday on w7 64b, firefox 62 but especially in French language.

Today , with w10 (always with FF62 french) , there is not alert.
Will try again with w7.

Edit:OK now even with (yesterday) W7 os
Avast has certainly fixed the problem with a VPS update ?

13

Just had this happen today:

https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=222009.msg1477008#msg1477008

~Pj