Mozilla Spyware (yes... I said Mozilla)

[MrLinus]

I saw this on another forum and felt that some users here may want a heads up. Needless to say I was a tad shocked.

Today I went to animewallpapers.com and got this popup which tried to install what has to be the first web page hijacker made for mozilla based browsers. I do not know if this is the first ever spyware for mozilla browers but it is the first time I have have seen any. It is also a virus.

You can see the whole thread at the Mozilla Forums

Granted this seems to be a Windows-based Mozilla issue right now but I wonder how long before it becomes a Linux issue as well. I suspect many users who have Mozilla (and similar family of browsers), stick their tongues out at IE users and look down on them, feeling very smug, may get caught unawares and become infected.

[darkes]

Well, this is the old "security through obscurity" issue.

I'm not at all convinced that MACs or linux systems or alternative browsers like Mozilla are more secure than their Windows equivalents.

It's just that most people don't think they are worth hacking at the moment, when you have so many completely insecure Windows PCs connected to the net.

If, and when this changes, then we shall find out

[.:front2back:.]

Well i'm a Netscape person myself.
So i wonder if this will affect my Internet Surfing in any way?

And thanks for posting this MsMittens certainly should put the fear back into those Mozilla users


cheers
.:front2back:.

[The Grunt]

Well, I would assume it still probably adds stuff to the registry... So for any real advanced user armed with hijack this it will still be fairly easy to get rid of. Also, the fact that the mozilla community will be quickly making plugins that keep the ones that have been written off (at least I would assume this is what would happen) will help keep things clean. At any rate, I just hope this is NOT that start of a new trend... And if it is, oh well...

[MemorY]

Thats why i use Slim Browser....

[Zonewalker]

you not heard about the latest 'sploit for slim then Memory

LOL

[sumdumguy]

Well, at least mozilla will give you a popup warning asking you if you want to install the XPI. And I'm not entirely sure but for the most part the malware that gets installed will affect IE instead of mozilla itself. Reading through that thread, it seems that this isn't the first case.. There's a link in that thread that leads to a 7 page thread about this and XPI installers which I found to be interesting.

thanks for posting, MsM

[Spyder32]

Thank's for the head's up MsM as Mozilla is my preferred browser

[Info Tech Geek]

The day my linux box gets bombarded with Spam and Adware is the day I go on an internet assination of all who are behind this plot to load my system with junk.

[KissCool]

Thanks, MsM. If Mozilla becomes a spyware target, it's the sign that it becomes popular.