Spyware for Firefox Coming This Year?

EvilCowzGoMoo writes "One of the main reasons for the Firefox browser's successful seizure of market share from Microsoft's Internet Explorer is the desire to escape the inundation of PC-slowing spyware. However, spyware experts indicate that with its increased popularity, Firefox itself will become a target for spyware creators." From the article: "Basically, if you use Firefox today, you're not susceptible to any spyware, other than what you download when you're on Kazaa...The spyware writers target mostly Explorer users because that's the most fertile feeding ground for piranha-like (spyware) attacks. They'll watch as Firefox becomes mainstream, they'll see opportunity there and start targeting them."

NO way!!

[Anonymous Coward]

because I use linux.

Re:NO way!!

[maskedbishounen]

Pfft.

I use GNU/Linux, so the only spyware I install on my system is GNU/Spyware!

Typographical Errors in High Places

[handy_vandal]

Let's not get carried away here. I voted for him over the other guy, but I don't think I would describe anything he's ever said as "immortal."

Typographical error -- should read "immoral words" ....

-kgj

Re:I got spyware from Firefox

[Anonymous Coward]

And I don't have any programs on here for downloading files, because it's my work computer.

If you really believe that you don't have any programs/code on your PC that can download files, your company needs a new IT department. Desperately.

Re:NO way!!

[fishyfool]

how about some GNU/spyware that automaticly fixes any problems it dectects? oh yeah, thats YaST...

Re:Malicious XPI's exist already

[Frymaster]

Why can't a browser simply be a browser anymore?
All it needs to do is render html, optionally show pictures, and supply widgets for forms.

well... there is lynx (and links, and dillo). the problem there is that, while you may not get hacked, people will think you're hacking them! [slashdot.org]

In Un-Related News...

[lamz]

...Microsoft begins developing spyware for FireFox.

Yeah, those "porn" plugins are trouble

[doublem]

Yea, like that plugin that supposedly extracted all the graphics form a web site, saved them to disk, and tried to "guess" what other images MIGHT be there based on the file name patterns.

Seemed like a great idea, right?

That's when I found out it was infected with that nasty "Piss off your wife" virus. The one where you're denied "marital benefits" for a while when she finds out what happened to all that hard drive space.

Totally OT...

[bhsx]

But, I went to a Lutheran HS in Chicago. We had chapel every Thursday. One day, a girl I had had a crush on forever (she went to my grade school as well), a well-perceived, good-faithed, honor roll student, was giving the sermon at chapel.
The service was supposed to be decrying sexual immorality, but the entire 20 minute sermon, she unknowingly used the term
"sexual immortality."
Every time. And everyone laughed. Every time.
A lot of us were suprised they didn't cut her short. Just thought I'd share :)

Re:Open Source Disadvantage

[tomhudson]

No no, you don't understand ... the slowness of IE updates is a feature [tt].

People are confused by change. They LIKE stuff that doesn't change. Do you have any idea how many lonely people their computer is their only window to the outside world?

Patch it too quickly and they won't have anything to talk about, they won't have all those spams from other computers that are pwn3d, and they'll end up committing suicide some lonely Christmas day because they are now completely and utterly alone.

Do you have any IDEA what sort of class-action lawsuit Microsoft would be looking at? And the bad publicity? "Microsoft patch kills seniors". Seniors are the most likely to vote, and no government can afford a bunch of old people in leaky diapers camping out in their offices protesting Microsoft.