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Microsoft AntiSpyware thinks Firefox is Spyware 454

Posted by CmdrTaco from the most-worms-are-spread-via-outlook dept.
brightertimes writes "It seems that microsoft's new AntiSpyware (beta) is now advising users to remove Firefox on their computers.. A Zeropaid.com thread shows the offending screenshot in action. Once your scanning has been done, if Firefox is found on your computer it provides the user with a "high" threat level and advising removal due to of lack of security updates." CT Several users have noted that the screenshot is likely fake.
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Microsoft AntiSpyware thinks Firefox is Spyware More

Microsoft AntiSpyware thinks Firefox is Spyware

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  • Predicted on Slashdot (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:02PM (#11794076)
    Two months ago [slashdot.org].

    • TACO IS AN IDIOT (Score:5, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:07PM (#11794122)
      This is clearly a fake, and they even state as much in the forum.

      WAY TO GO, TACO!

      • Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT (Score:5, Funny)

        by 0x461FAB0BD7D2 ( 812236 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:13PM (#11794174) Journal
        Or perhaps Slashdot is adding a comedy section to their news.

        I'd welcome it.

        • Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)

          by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:15PM (#11794186)
          Comment removed based on user account deletion

        • Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT (Score:5, Informative)

          by TFGeditor ( 737839 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @01:13PM (#11794622) Homepage
          Actually, they already have one but never use it or accept articles submitted for it. It is called "It's Funny. Laugh" Check it out on the Select Topic menu on the Submit Story page.

        • Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT (Score:5, Insightful)

          by rebeka thomas ( 673264 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @03:24PM (#11795506)
          Before blasting slashdot, I think slashdot has handled this better simply by nature than most other news sites.

          I've seen links to this image at least half a dozen times already. Only on slashdot have I seen the uproar in comments that it's a fake. Only on slashdot have people bothered researching the info behind the photograph to see what happened. Hell, only on slashdot was a link given to the original thread so we could find this out for ourselves. Everywhere else just had a bunch of drooling fools looking over the image and laughing at how desperate MS looks, while here we find the true story because of the strength of comments and the comment moderation system.

          Slashdot is doing better than regular news sources that regularly print misinformation, one sided stories and complete fabrications with no recourse for comments by readers who do know better.

      • Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT (Score:5, Funny)

        by kiltedtaco ( 213773 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:14PM (#11794180) Homepage
        I can't wait until the dupe of this story gets posted in a week!

      • Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT (Score:5, Funny)

        by game kid ( 805301 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:35PM (#11794311) Homepage
        (story above) CT Several users have noted that the screenshot is likely fake.

        In other news, Windows likely has a calculator, a text editor, a much-hated activation requirement, and a much-despised Web browser. At the risk of being banned from /., I must agree with the parent here.

      • Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT (Score:5, Funny)

        by Mr2cents ( 323101 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:37PM (#11794328)
        * Stickers improving your battery life!
        * Random number generators predict "important" events!
        * IPods prefer certain songs!

        Just to name a few recent embarrassing stories. Slashdot has gone New Age, methinks.

      • Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT (Score:5, Informative)

        by 1u3hr ( 530656 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @02:29PM (#11795143)
        This is clearly a fake, and they even state as much in the forum.

        The image was posted by grab_grab_the_haddock timestamped Yesterday, 03:56 PM
        A few posts down the same guy posts Yesterday, 05:53 PM, 2 hours later: "Funny? It's absolutely priceless. Only MikeHunt would be stupid enough to so passionately debunk a blatantly photoshopped image which was put up for a joke. Hilarious."

        He was wrong, Taco was even more stupid. I can't work out what timezones all these posts there and on slashdot refer to; but I'm pretty sure the follow up admission was there before it went up on Slashdot, not that anyone should have taken it at face value. I might believe a false positive for just about anything, but there is a description of Firefox there that no one at Microsoft would be stupid enough to write.

      • Re:TACO IS AN IDIOT (Score:4, Informative)

        by MyLongNickName ( 822545 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @03:34PM (#11795563) Journal
        From the "reporter":

        What the hell does it say for slashdot that this nonsense made it to their "news" pages? Just what kind of far out shit has CmdrTaco been smoking lately? Doesn't he even bother to check these things out before he posts them? Or even to read the frickin thread? Too funny.

        btw..thanks to p2pforums for letting me rip their idea.

    • Re:Predicted on Slashdot (Score:5, Insightful)

      by d3ac0n ( 715594 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:17PM (#11794195)
      The most important part of any scam:

      No matter how outrageous your claim, if you make it believeable, people will fall for it.

      Nicely done gentlemen, nicely done indeed.

    • In Related News... (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      According to today's Slashdot News, MS Anti-Spyware reports Gimp as a security threat and recommends Photoshop or MS Paint instead for safer hoax fabrication.

  • Not true.... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by scifience ( 674659 ) * <webmaster@scifience.net> on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:02PM (#11794077) Homepage
    I just ran a "Deep Scan" with MS Anti-Spyware on a machine with Firefox 1.0 installed. I got 0 results for spyware.

    • Re:Not true.... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by epedersen ( 863120 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:04PM (#11794093)
      I have ran the scan on my computers with both Firefox 1.0 and Firefox 1.0.1 and the only Spyware that the MS Anti-Spyware finds is RealVNC.

      • Re:Not true.... (Score:5, Informative)

        by EvilAlien ( 133134 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:22PM (#11794239) Journal
        Same here... I'm running the Beta, and have so since it was launched. It has never detected Firefox as spyware, but has highlighted the slight risk inherent in VNC. GIANT Spyware has done a vastly better job than Adware Pro did for me, and running Adaware Pro in parallel didn't appear to give any added benefit (best practice is generally to run 2 antispyware apps in parallel since none catch 100% of threats).

        Nice FUD post here... guess MS aren't the only ones to use FUD as a weapon, huh?

    • Re:Not true.... (Score:5, Interesting)

      by nuclear305 ( 674185 ) * on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:05PM (#11794109)
      " I just ran a "Deep Scan" with MS Anti-Spyware on a machine with Firefox 1.0 installed. I got 0 results for spyware."

      Agreed. I just ran a deep scan with the latest definitions and all I got were 3 false positives.

      Screenshot [img155.exs.cx]

      • Bravery (Score:5, Funny)

        by LinuxGeek ( 6139 ) <djand...nc@@@gmail...com> on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:28PM (#11794274)
        I had to really brace myself before clicking a link to a .jpg file hosted on the .cx TLD

      • Re:Not true.... (Score:5, Informative)

        by Pharmboy ( 216950 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:44PM (#11794376) Journal
        I run it every night and have it autoquarantine everything, and have NEVER had it touch my wanted programs, on a VERY loaded and capable box. (multiple BT clients, USENET clients, etc.) It doesn't claim Firefox is anything (using now as always). Doesn't seem to care one way or the other.

        I installed MS Antispy a month ago, and haven't had any problems with it. While I am not a fan of MS's tactics and use Linux on most of my boxes (this is a media center hooked to the TV, easier for Windows, to me) I find the program pretty good. Beat out Spybot Search and Destroy, which I have used for over a year before installing MS's app.

        Because I run the scan every night, I have scanned with all the definitions, so my guess is that the article is FUD against MS, which is rather ironic if you think about it.

    • Re:Not true.... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Martin Taylor ( 861858 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:07PM (#11794125)
      Jesus H, It's obviously a photoshop, the thread that they link to is clearly a joke. It took about 10 seconds to tell that this is a hoax. How in the hell can this make the front page? It's just insane. People subscribe to /.? People are paid to run this site? For this and same-day dupes?

      • Re:Not true.... (Score:5, Funny)

        by selectspec ( 74651 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:14PM (#11794179)
        The question isn't why this made the front page, but whether the same story will be on tomorrow's /.

        • The question isn't why this made the front page, but whether the same story will be on tomorrow's /.

          But you already know the answer to the question... the choice is already made. Now it's up to you to understand it.
          • But you already know the answer to the question...

            No, but if you can just wait a second while I check the random number generator...

            Yep, it's a number between 0 and INT_MAX, so Slashdot's definition gonna dupe this one. See, random numbers can predict the future!

      • I find a lot of silliness here too, but I realize, I have to option to look for Britney Spears images on google, if I wish.

        It's not like this is a government service mandated by the Constitution(tm).

    • Re:Not true.... (Score:2, Informative)

      by Oarryan ( 581350 )
      Obligatory "Me too"...

      I've been running the MSAS both at work and at home in conjunction with others (AdAware, SpyBot S&D, etc) along side Firefox 1.0 and Firefox 1.0.1

      While it did presume RealVNC was initially a threat (until instructed to ignore it on subsequent scans), it hasn't barked at either of the FireFox versions.
    • Of course it is a fake. Even without running strings on the image (which turns up nothing by the way), Microsoft are not as stupid as to do something like this. Courts have learned about their anticompetitive methods, so doing something like this is just asking to be sued.

      If Microsoft wanted to break Firefox, they'd look at the source and change the API so it doesn't work in Longhorn.

      • "If Microsoft wanted to break Firefox, they'd look at the source and change the API so it doesn't work in Longhorn."

        This would also likely break a lot of other programs.

    • Re:Not true.... (Score:4, Insightful)

      by diverman ( 55324 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:30PM (#11794283)
      So, then why is slashdot leaving a false claim (despite the small editor's note) on the top of their main page???

      While I'm totally NOT an M$ fan, it is kinda lame to have that claim shown to be false on the main page.

      -Alex

      • Re:Not true.... (Score:5, Interesting)

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:50PM (#11794417)
        Because Slashdot's policy is to never ever remove an article once posted. They believe that that policy helps immunize them from some types of lawsuits - because if they make decisions about some articles being worthy of removal, then someone can claim "This article which we don't like should be one of the ones you remove"; whereas with the no-removals policy, Slashdot thinks it's more free to say, "You'll have to force us!"

        A better question would be, how did the article get posted in the first place?

      • -1 Troll (Score:5, Insightful)

        by DJStealth ( 103231 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:52PM (#11794439)
        This is the kind of thing that makes me wish we had mod points to mod articles down to "-1 Troll".

        Maybe if we can mod articles, we won't see dups and things like this anymore.

    • Re:Not true.... (Score:2, Funny)

      by Seumas ( 6865 )
      Slashdot makes DrudgeReport look like thoughtful, unsensational, quality news.

  • One Word. (Score:5, Informative)

    by JS_RIDDLER ( 570254 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:02PM (#11794080)
    -Photoshop

  • Um, simply NOT true. (Score:4, Informative)

    by MSFanBoi ( 695480 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:04PM (#11794090) Journal
    I have Mozilla and Microsoft Antispyware BETA running on my system. This is simply NOT true.
    • Suuuuure... Any other FUD, for us, MSFanBoi?

      I mean, it's not like people can simply take pictures of screens that don't exist! It's posted on the Internet, it must be true!

  • Slashdot got FARKed (Score:5, Informative)

    by CashCarSTAR ( 548853 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:05PM (#11794100)
    Later on in the thread they admit it's a fake.

    Way to go Editor.
    • PWNED!!11!11!!! LOL!!
    • If you go deeper into the thread, you'll see another screenshot where MS Antispyware shows John Kery + Jane Fonda [about.com] as a high-level threat.
    • This is pure BS. /. has just been trolled, big time. This is the worst editing error I have ever seen. Why is everyone still posting? Has no-one RTFA? Or even TF second post? MS would never take a legal risk like this. Now stop feeding the troll.

      That said, I kind off hoped it was true too...


      Also Firefox has no catagory in the screenshot, unlike the others (VCN really is picked up BTW, I've seen this happen. Now, there is an example of a cross-platform competitor to a MS product being flagged spyware...)

      • (VCN really is picked up BTW, I've seen this happen. Now, there is an example of a cross-platform competitor to a MS product being flagged spyware...)

        Its marked by default (or used to be) as 'permanently ignore' tho, so theres nothing forcing you to remove it. Its arguably a valid detection, as its possible to install VNC on someones PC and remote control it without their knowledge, so would you want it missed off the list because its also a legitimate app?

        • Exactly, generally speaking, if my mom's computer came up with VNC on it I would want her to read what it is and remove it since I never installed it. For me, I've got it on my computer for a reason. At Moms office is another story. The internet is dialup, and only available on 2 computers. So I have VNC installed on the server so I can access it from the clients.

  • How Ironic (Score:2, Offtopic)

    by CastrTroy ( 595695 )
    How ironic is it that the screenshot is in PNG format?

  • bah (Score:4, Funny)

    by ChronoSphere ( 814014 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:05PM (#11794104) Homepage

    You wanna make that scan result accurate?

    Replace the word "Mozilla" with "Internet Explorer" and the warning will be pretty damn accurate.

  • gullible, photoshopped... (Score:5, Funny)

    by FinestLittleSpace ( 719663 ) * on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:05PM (#11794105)
    "rupert, did you know gullible isn't in the dictionary?"
    "what? it really isn't? Oh Touche old chap!"

  • Duh...hello? Anyone home? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by lxt ( 724570 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:06PM (#11794110) Journal
    Aside from the fact anyone with a sane mind would be able to work out it was a fake, here are a few details that might help you:

    1) "FireFox is an alternative browser" - you'd never, ever, find Microsoft saying that now. They'd say "FireFox is an internet browser".

    2) "May perform operations differently from the default browser" - similarly, you could have Firefox as the default browser. Microsoft would never say these on anything they produce, because it would be seen as insinuating Internet Explorer was the only "official" net browser for Windows.

    But hey, when did anything like logical reasoning ever stop Slashdot editors?
    • But hey, when did anything like logical reasoning ever stop Slashdot editors?

      Actually, I don't see any logical evidence in your post. The meaningful bit of logical evidence that the picture is fake is the note from its author. Your "evidence" amounts to innuendo and your own personal beliefs about the actions and intentions of Microsoft. This, for future reference, is what evidence looks like:

      alternative browser [google.com]

  • Joke (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Monx ( 742514 ) <MonxSlash AT exp ... bilities DOT com> on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:06PM (#11794114) Journal
    It's a joke. Read the forum in linked to in the summary. Why is this on Slashdot w/out the foot icon?

  • Did the same thing with dreamweaver (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:07PM (#11794120)
    Thankfully, it automatically uninstalled it and downloaded a copy of FrontPage. Thanks for securing my system MS.
  • What version of Firefox is being detected? (Zeropaid is Slashdotted).

    The screenshot says that FF "may be vulnerable to a lack of security updates". The English wording there is very odd, but I think it's saying that FF may be out of date.

    Does this mean that he's running an older version of Firefox?
  • In a dupe story posted a few weeks back, I compared the editors of Slashdot jokingly to porn producers, and then asked how I could have made such a connection. Well, here's another one to add to the list: Like porn producers, Slashdot editors shamlessly take other producers' content, and don't bother to look at it.

  • Sounds bogus to me (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Ridgelift ( 228977 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:09PM (#11794145)
    Hmm..seems kind of fishy to me.

    So I fired up VMWare where I have a legit install of XP Pro. I downloaded the latest copy of Microsoft's Anti-Spyware program and updated to the latest signatures.

    Here are my results. [forrestmods.com]

    I'll admit it, I don't like Microsoft. I've even been modded down into the basement for my anti-Microsoft comments in the past. But even I think this sort of stuff does not belong on Slashdot.

    Beat 'em with the truth, not lies.
  • Could MS not be sued for being a monopoly and abusing it's power to "wipe out" the little guys?
  • i just thought of something...maybe there's a component/add-on for firefox that the tester was running that others aren't and that's what triggered the spyware alert?

    or maybe the testers tweaked the beta product.

    or maybe that's why this is still a beta product.

    i'm not defending MS

    i am merely providing optional theories for the positive result.
  • 1. The blatant inaccuarcy of this charge, of the co computers of my fathers office network that run firefox and microsofts anti spyware(which is just giant with a new label) this has not happened yet.

    2. None of my four machines that have windows at my own home.

    2. Nor the 1000+workstations at my job that run the combo.

    So of the 1024 windows box i am personally responsible for this has not happened.

    Not saying it is impossible but it is pretty strange.

    Have we as a community gotten better as marketing/rum
  • ...from this point in time onwards, anyone posting a reply saying "I can't believe they did this" will be laughed at mercilessly...

  • Jumping the Shark (Score:4, Insightful)

    by VividU ( 175339 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:16PM (#11794193)
    Slashdot has just jumped the shark with this pathetic, sad posting.

  • The Firefox listing is a fake... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by yeremein ( 678037 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:18PM (#11794203)
    ...but what about VNC? Doesn't Microsoft have VNC-server-like functionality built in to XP? Where is that in their list?
    • VNC is a common payload to set up once a machine is compromised, and I think that makes it a valid target.

      The spyware message for VNC very clearly states that it is legitimate software, and recommends ignoring the warning it if you knew that it was installed on your machine.

    • Even if they do, the Anti-spyware should at least inform users of any third-party VNC-like software present on the machine in case they don't know about it.
    • I think theres a difference there. Windows Remote Desktop logs the local user OFF the system while the remote user is connected (well, it doesnt log them off, it locks the console session for the duration and the local user has to physically log back in). With VNC the remote user can connect and see what you are doing with no indication that they are watching you. Not saying their detection is correct (its set to 'permanently ignore' by default anyway) but theres a world of difference.
  • to get the original post updated?

    Any takers?

  • Taco (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:24PM (#11794247)
    "CT Several users have noted that the screenshot is likely fake."

    should read

    "CT The article notes that the screenshot is fake."

  • Tacogate: Taco must go (Score:5, Funny)

    by aggressivepedestrian ( 149887 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:31PM (#11794294)
    First, there needs to be a media firestorm about this. Then, just as in Rathergate, Slashdot should fire a few low-level scapegoats now, claiming shoddy journalistic standards. Then Commander Taco should be be allowed to resign "for personal reasons" in a few months.

  • O rly? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Vicsun ( 812730 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:33PM (#11794306)
    "CT: Several users have noted that the screenshot is likely fake." Likely? I'd love to see what evidence is needed before it's conclusively determined it's fake.

  • Sort of controversial (Score:2, Interesting)

    by rrosales ( 847375 )
    If you look at the screen shot, MS AntiSpyware marks the browser as a high level risk and the software advises the user to remove the browser immediately but the 'Recommended Action' is to ignore it. I know all of us who have both the browser and antispyware installed performed a scan just to verify for themselves that the alleged screenshot was true.

    Did anyone ever consider that MS AntiSpyware detected a pre-1.0 release of Firefox and alerting the user that their running an outdated copy of the browser (w

  • April Fools? (Score:4, Funny)

    by ticktockticktock ( 772894 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:41PM (#11794351)
    My calendar must be off...Is it April 1st already?

  • No matter... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Cytlid ( 95255 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:42PM (#11794358)
    ...how hard I try, I just can't get Microsoft AntiSpyware installed. It's frustrating! I'd like to know if I have any spyware installed (definitely have Firefox, using it right now).

    I guess I'll go "unprotected" for a while, using my dangerous browser. Someone please let me know when this AntiSpyware thing works in Linux?
  • So an article about a fake screenshot makes it to the front page? And with such a misleading title?
    This is getting irritating, anything Anti-MS gets front page, just for the sake of it.
  • I have Microsoft Antispyware installed on several of my machines. All of them also have Firefox and none detect Firefox as spyware.

    I think you've been duped by some misguided zealot.
  • Thanks for that story, I needed a laugh after watching England lose at rugby *again*.

    Oh, wait, there's no foot icon. Whatever they're paying you, it's too much.

  • It's Fake, Here's Proof (Score:4, Informative)

    by CypherXero ( 798440 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:57PM (#11794474) Homepage
    I just took that screenshot from the article, and changed it in Photoshop: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/CypherXero3 /mozillaadwarefake.jpg It's fake, you idiots!

  • Outrage and indignation (Score:3, Funny)

    by fleener ( 140714 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @12:58PM (#11794482)
    I would like to register my outrage and indignation at this travesty of misinformation. It Slashdot keeps linking to fictitious news, I may just lose my trust in the Internet. Just think of the implications. I may no longer believe in the existence of UFOs, ghosts, leprechauns, fairies, and weapons of mass destruction.

  • 'News' for nerds.... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by wtmcgee ( 113309 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @01:43PM (#11794867) Homepage
    /. has turned into a rumor site lately.

    What gives?

  • How can this be fake, check this out (Score:5, Funny)

    by Daath ( 225404 ) <(kd.redoc) (ta) (pl)> on Sunday February 27, 2005 @02:02PM (#11794993) Homepage Journal
    I just tried it and guess what, I got a different result [weirdsilence.net]! Astounding! :P

  • Comedy for nerds, stuff that doesn't matter (Score:5, Insightful)

    by The_Incubator ( 819401 ) on Sunday February 27, 2005 @03:24PM (#11795503)
    Last week I told myself I was quitting slashdot cold-Turky after the late Febuary posting of a "news" story about Dell entering the HDTV market with a plasma panel that was reviewed by CNET in November. I thought that story making the front page pretty much embodied everything that has come to suck about Slashdot.

    I lasted about a day, and then I thought "oh hell, I've been reading Slashdot for years, I can't stop so I'll just read it once a day or something."

    Now this story makes me realize that Slashdot has simply evolved and I've taken too long to catch up. This isn't a new site anymore, it's a comedy site. It's pure comedy to watch the bumbling idiots who run this site post same-day dupes, fake stories, last year's news today, etc. etc.

    So while I used to read slashdot as a news site and get exasperated at it's terrible execution as such, now I read it as a comedy show and laugh my ass off. It's like reading the class clown's blog.

    Nick

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