Bugtraq mailing list archives
Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare
From: "Stefan Kanthak" <stefan.kanthak () nexgo de>
Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2015 21:27:42 +0200
"Ansgar Wiechers" <bugtraq () planetcobalt net> wrote:
On 2015-08-05 Stefan Kanthak wrote:"Mario Vilas" <mvilas () gmail com> wrote:If this is the case then the problem is one of bad file permissions, not the location. Incidentally, many other browsers and tons of software also store executable code in %APPDATA%.Cf. <http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2013/Aug/198> EVERY program which stores executable code in user-writable locations is CRAPWARE and EVIL since it undermines the security boundary created by privilege separation and installation of executables in write-protected locations. Both are BASIC principles of computer security.Nonsense.
Really?
That only becomes an issue if anyone other than the user putting the code into the location is supposed to be running something from that location.
Are you SURE that everybody who installs TB 38 knows or recognizes that TB writes executable code to their user profile(s)? Who is but the user who puts the code into that location in the first place? The user who executes TB and let it create/update the profile? The administrator who installs TB? The creator of TBs installer?
Otherwise you'd have to prevent users from putting scripts or standalone executables anywhere they have write access.
No. Writing executable code is NOT the problem here. The problem is running this code AFTER it has been tampered. (Not only) Mozilla but does NOT detect tampered code.
Which is somewhat less than desirable (or feasible) in most environments.
I recommend to get the idea of "write Xor execute"...
The problem with browser extensions is that they're exposed to input from the outside world, which could make them remotely exploitable in case of a vulnerability, and that user-installed extensions are not subject to company software update procedures.
That's still ANOTHER problem. regards Stefan
Current thread:
- Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Stefan Kanthak (Aug 04)
- Message not available
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Stefan Kanthak (Aug 05)
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Ansgar Wiechers (Aug 05)
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Stefan Kanthak (Aug 06)
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Reindl Harald (Aug 06)
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Bruce A. Peters (Aug 06)
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Stefan Kanthak (Aug 17)
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Christoph Gruber (Aug 06)
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Reindl Harald (Aug 06)
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Andrew Deck (Aug 06)
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Stefan Kanthak (Aug 05)
- Message not available
- Message not available
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Stefan Kanthak (Aug 06)
- Message not available
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Stefan Kanthak (Aug 06)
- Message not available
- Re: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Stefan Kanthak (Aug 06)
- RE: [FD] Mozilla extensions: a security nightmare Steve Friedl (Aug 06)