Spyware, Adware, & Mozilla Firefox

Short Description
adware crafted for Mozilla Firefox, an alternative browser which is becoming more …. Like Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox also allows users to install …

Website: research.sunbelt-software.com | Filesize: 745kb

Content
Spyware, Adware, &
Mozilla Firefox
Sunbelt Software
Spyware Research Center
March 10, 2005Sunbelt Software: Spyware, Adware, & Mozilla Firefox 2
Introduction
Over the past few months security experts have speculated that we could see new spyware and
adware crafted for Mozilla Firefox, an alternative browser which is becoming more popular with
users looking to avoid spyware problems previously thought to be exclusive to Microsoft’s
Internet Explorer (http://internet.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=05/01/31/2121249). Until now
most of this speculation has centered on the potential for security holes in Firefox that could be
exploited by spyware and adware creators. But such speculation is arguably misguided. In fact,
we already have seen instances of spyware and adware that can be installed through Mozilla
Firefox. These cases haven’t received much attention, however, largely because researchers have
been too focused on security exploits instead of the more run-of-the-mill methods through which
spyware and adware are typically delivered to users’ desktops: namely, social engineering
techniques that spring unwanted software on confused users who aren’t careful enough about
what they click.
Security Vulnerabilities & Firefox
It is understandable that security exploits have become a primary concern when discussing
spyware and adware. Security holes in Internet Explorer have been used with…