220-1002 · Question #783
A customer calls the help desk to report a computer that has become infected. While speaking with the technician, there is an audible siren coming from the computer. The browser window is flashing…
The correct answer is A. Reset the browser to defaults. The symptoms - a flashing red browser warning with a fake infection alert, audible siren, and a persistent homepage redirect after reboot - are classic signs of browser hijacking via a scareware page. The virus scan found nothing because no malware was installed on the system…
Question
A customer calls the help desk to report a computer that has become infected. While speaking with the technician, there is an audible siren coming from the computer. The browser window is flashing red, stating the computer is infected, and then the computer becomes unresponsive. A technician is dispatched to determine a solution. After a reboot and a virus scan, the technician is unable to find any issues, When the customer opens the browser, the homepage redirects to the same page, and the same issue occurs. Which of the following should be the NEXT step to resolve the issue?
Options
- AReset the browser to defaults.
- BUpdate the antivirus definitions.
- CReset Windows to a recent restore point.
- DInstall Windows Updates.
How the community answered
(31 responses)- A77% (24)
- B13% (4)
- C6% (2)
- D3% (1)
Explanation
The symptoms - a flashing red browser warning with a fake infection alert, audible siren, and a persistent homepage redirect after reboot - are classic signs of browser hijacking via a scareware page. The virus scan found nothing because no malware was installed on the system; the malicious content modified the browser's homepage setting. Since the issue is reproducible simply by opening the browser, the root cause is a compromised browser configuration, not a system-level infection. Resetting the browser to defaults clears the modified homepage, extensions, and settings, eliminating the redirect. Updating antivirus definitions, using a restore point, or installing Windows Updates would not fix a browser-level configuration change.
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