Malware infested Firefox add-ons.

[phoney]

I read in an article on cnet.com:
Security certainly remains an important issue in computing and browsing, especially in light of last week's discovery of two malware-infested add-ons for Firefox--Sothink Web Video Downloader 4.0 and all versions of Master Filer. Learn what happened and make sure you're in the clear.

Now McAfee has burst onto the scene with three updated security applications--McAfee AntiVirus Plus, McAfee Internet Security, and McAfee Total Protection. While most of the main features remain unchanged, McAfee has overhauled the user interface, real-time defense engine, and firewall. There are also a few tweaks and omissions:

[ken]

There was me thinking that Firefox was safer than IE, I'm pleased I don't use it. I did use it a while back, for the HTML editor. As I'm not having to use HTML, I haven't reinstalled it on Win7. Mostly I use MSN Premium and IE8 now and again, don't get any bother.

I used to use McAfee a million years ago, I got it on a disk in a magazine. I found it very good, then they upgraded it. They offered me a free trial on the new suite. I think it was 3 months trial on the antivirus and 6 months on the firewall. Anyway I finished up with a badly infected computer, some really nasty worms. I could get it free from MSN, as a Premium user. After my previous bad experience, I just don't trust it and would rather stick with Avast free. I don't use a firewall on the Beast, but I use Comodo free on my laptop. McAfee make some good stand alone apps for getting rid of worms and things. With Avast and SAS Pro, I don't get worms and things and I don't have any use for McAfee.

[mikkh]

WTF!

We've all got our opinions, but this shock horror revelation (and no link) with a Mcafee advert tacked on doesn't sit very pretty with me.

Let's look at this a bit more logically

So TWO out of thousands of available add-ons have apparently been linked to malware?

1) You are warned on every add-on install it's third party software and nothing to do with Firefox

2) Nobody forces you to add anything

3) Firefox is still more secure than most browsers because it gets updated more regularly.

There *are* far too many add-ons though and it should be controlled better.

[mikkh]

Having just researched it, about 4000 people (out of millions of users) were affected.

Computerworld - Mozilla confirmed late Thursday that it failed to detect malware in a pair of Firefox add-ons, which may have infected up to 4,600 users.

The add-ons have been removed from Firefox's official add-on download site.

According to an entry on the Mozilla Add-ons blog, Sothink Web Video Downloader 4.0 and all versions of Master Filer were infected with Trojan horses designed to hijack Windows PCs. Both add-ons were in the "experimental" area of Firefox's add-on download site, where newer extensions remain until they undergo a public review process. To install experimental add-ons, Firefox users must view and accept an additional warning.

Full story here

www.computerworld.com/s/article/9152578/Mozilla_confirms_infected_Firefox_add_ons_slipped_through_security

Both add-ons were in the "experimental" area of Firefox's add-on download site, where newer extensions remain until they undergo a public review process. To install experimental add-ons, Firefox users must view and accept an additional warning


Moral of the story - Don't go experimental

[elvisuk]

I use Firefox and i use 2 add-ons AdBlock Plus and Download Helper and i have not had any problems, i use Linux Mint as well so i think i will be OK