Tech Republic: Microsoft may be Firefox's worst vulnerability (Attn Firefox users)

[Larry]

OK. Apparently this thing has been out there for a while. Maybe it's just me that didn't hear about it. But it occurs to me that maybe there's a few Firefox users on ES who didn't hear this, either.

Apparently, back in February, Microsoft pushed out a Windows Update which installed software into Firefox. Specifically, this update allows web sites to use .NET to install software on your system, and tells them about the software that's on your system, even if you're running Firefox.

Yes, that’s right — the long-time, well known security hole present in Internet Explorer that consists of essentially letting Websites install dangerous, untrusted code on your computer willy-nilly has now been shoehorned into your MS Windows install of Firefox without your knowledge or permission.

Worse yet, Microsoft isn’t satisfied with just giving you vulnerabilities without your permission or even you knowledge. It has also gone out of its way to ensure that you’ll have a difficult time removing the vulnerability from your system if you should happen to become aware of it. The Uninstall button for this extension in Firefox has been deactivated. In Uninstalling the Clickonce Support for Firefox, Microsoft employee Brad Abrams says:

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(BTW, my system apparently doesn't have this "feature" installed. So apparently it doesn't install on everybody's system.)

[PokerPacker]

one of the hugest advantage to firefox was that you DIDN'T have to deal with the Microsoft vulnerabilities built into IE. Oh how I hate microsoft and how glad I am to be running linux.

[Oldskool]

Not much you can do if you use Firefox but I do run noscript, which hopefully helps with security.

http://noscript.net/

[Springfield]

And to think...

I just downloaded Firefox yesterday. For the first time.

[Sticksboi05]

Just use NoScript.

[Larry]

Not much you can do if you use Firefox but I do run noscript, which hopefully helps with security.

http://noscript.net/

So do I. Although it does get aggravating with certain web sites.

[Toe Jam]

Microsoft is simply an alternate spelling for "****s".

[stevenaa]

Link???

If Firefox is so secure, how was this install into Firefox accomplished?

NM. Found info in a search.

[Larry]

Bump for people who missed it yesterday.

[zoony]

I love me some microsoft, personally.

More and more people will resent Apple the bigger they get. It'll be fun to watch.

[Larry]

I love me some microsoft, personally.

More and more people will resent Apple the bigger they get. It'll be fun to watch.

Actually, I do remember way back in the old days, when Apple was the company demanding total control over every little thing that went into their system, and was mostly known for suing people who tried to be compatable with their monopoly, and the PCs were open to everybody.

[Soup]

Not only that but MicroSoft has been completely down the drain for a while now. The crap that they are doing is amazing. Lucky for them IBM, Sun Systems, IEEE and a few others have kept up or everyone here, Even I, would use MAC.

[zoony]

Actually, I do remember way back in the old days, when Apple was the company demanding total control over every little thing that went into their system, and was mostly known for suing people who tried to be compatable with their monopoly, and the PCs were open to everybody.

I remember those days too. 'cept I remember it as all the computer geeks with glasses preferring MS, while "users" preferred Macs. Ironic, isn't it

[heyholetsgogrant]

I use Google Chrome. Firefox crashes way way too much, plus chrome is faster. However, I'm sure google does some shady stuff.

[Mad Mike]

Actually, I do remember way back in the old days, when Apple was the company demanding total control over every little thing that went into their system, and was mostly known for suing people who tried to be compatable with their monopoly, and the PCs were open to everybody.

I remember meeting a guy several years ago who seriously hated Apple based in part on this idea. He came to my door one day and told me he was a neighbor and another neighbor had told him I was a "computer guy". Seems he was having trouble getting one of his "open" printer drivers to work. I explained to him that "I'm sorry but I'm a Mac user and I don't know anything about Windows drivers." and he proceeded to explain the evils of Apple. At his first pause, I told him "Yet I'm not the one knocking on neighbors doors trying to fix my PC" and closed the door on him before he could respond. :evilg:

[Mad Mike]

I remember those days too. 'cept I remember it as all the computer geeks with glasses preferring MS, while "users" preferred Macs. Ironic, isn't it

I started out as a DOS/PC guy who couldn't figure out why anyone would want or need anything else. I never even used a Mac before 91-92. But the first time I used one it was as if a light went off and I thought, "*This* is how a computer should work!"

[JMS]

This is good news. Microsoft has already been found ot be a preditory monopoly for doing things like this. The threshhold of proof is very low.

Look for a lawsuit, and maybe even microsoft getting broken up.

[rebornempowered]

I love me some microsoft, personally.

More and more people will resent Apple the bigger they get. It'll be fun to watch.

Apple won't get the chance.

Windows 7 is that good!

[PokerPacker]

Not only that but MicroSoft has been completely down the drain for a while now. The crap that they are doing is amazing. Lucky for them IBM, Sun Systems, IEEE and a few others have kept up or everyone here, Even I, would use MAC.

Or they'd use linux, as its all the third-party support for microsoft that doesn't find its way to linux that is linux's biggest problem. If Microsoft fell, then more companies would put an effort into working with other operating systems.

[skinfan2k]

i want a apple but they are expensive and PCs are so easy to use