Malicious Web Pages Can Install Dashboard Widgets

Malicious Web Pages Can Install Dashboard Widgets 610

Posted by timothy on Sunday May 08, 2005 @05:49PM from the not-good dept.

bonch writes "If you're running Safari on OS X Tiger and go to this website, a 'slightly evil' Dashboard widget will be automatically downloaded and installed and can't be removed without manually removing the file from the Library folder and rebooting the computer. The widget is called Zaptastic and is a demonstration by the author of how easy it is to exploit Dashboard for nefarious purposes. The essay, released under the Creative Commons License, goes on to describe the many ways users can be taken advantage of--imagine porn sites auto-installing adware widgets without your knowledge." So if you're on a Mac, it would be smart to view that page with something other than Safari.

Malicious Web Pages Can Install Dashboard Widgets

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yes but... (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @05:51PM (#12470934)

magine porn sites auto-installing adware widgets without your knowledge.

Yes, but do they install porn?
-SJ53

Serves you right (Score:3, Funny)

by th1ckasabr1ck ( 752151 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @05:51PM (#12470936)

If people would just run a secure OS like Linux or Windows, they wouldn't be hit with attacks like this. When will people learn?

In soviet russia (Score:4, Funny)

by zkn ( 704992 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @05:54PM (#12470958)

Apple copies Microsoft.....

HAH! (Score:3, Funny)

by JoeCommodore ( 567479 ) writes: <larry@portcommodore.com> on Sunday May 08, 2005 @05:54PM (#12470960) Homepage

I'm running Jaguar!

I can't afford to buy all the Apple "upgrades of the month."

Thanks Slashdot! (Score:1, Funny)

by CypherXero ( 798440 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @05:54PM (#12470961) Homepage

Nothing happened to me (I'm running XP at the moment), but there's a friggin ZIP file sitting on my desktop. OK, time to bring out my tin foil hat! And to the /. editors, don't link to shit like that, damn! That's just common sense.

Yeah... (Score:3, Funny)

by Nanoda ( 591299 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @05:54PM (#12470968)

imagine porn sites auto-installing adware widgets without your knowledge.
Yeah... I'm imagining those porn sites.........

uh... (Score:2, Funny)

by pkboy ( 864629 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @05:59PM (#12470998)

"imagine porn sites auto-installing adware widgets without your knowledge." I guess Mac users can now blame their browsers for the pr0n popping up on their computers as well.

Re:Thanks Slashdot! (Score:5, Funny)

by jericho4.0 ( 565125 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @06:01PM (#12471015)

Oh. My. God. There's a zip file on your desktop. Holy Shit. A zip file, for Christ's sake! What will your fate be? Long and painful, or medium and painful? How will your family go on?

Awww...How cute! (Score:4, Funny)

by justforaday ( 560408 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @06:02PM (#12471022)

Looks like he was nice and made us a goatse.cx widget [stephan.com]. Too bad I don't have Tiger yet... :'(

YOU BAD MOUTHED ABOUT APPLE! (Score:0, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @06:11PM (#12471091)

Mod parent down now!

O Great Oracle of Slashdot (Score:5, Funny)

by Dachannien ( 617929 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @06:13PM (#12471104)

If there's anything that Slashdot has taught us, it's that it's never safe to use your computer.

Re:Not much of a problem... (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @06:15PM (#12471116)

JPEG files are "safe"

hello.jpg, tubgirl, need I go on?

Imagine it? (Score:4, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @06:20PM (#12471152)

imagine porn sites auto-installing adware widgets without your knowledge

Imagine it? I'm a Windows/IE user...I live it!

Thank God for Firefox and Windows (Score:4, Funny)

by Pedrito ( 94783 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @06:24PM (#12471186)

I'm just glad I'm running Firefox [slashdot.org] under Windows. No need for me to worry about nefarious web sites.

Re:Serves you right (Score:3, Funny)

by Mitleid ( 734193 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @06:27PM (#12471197)

God damn I wish I had some mod points. Very well said, my friend.

This can't possibly be true (Score:4, Funny)

by rudy_wayne ( 414635 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @06:34PM (#12471258)

This can't possibly be true.

Everyone knows that Linux and OS X are perfect and only Windows has security exploits.

Let's get it right people! You're slipping!

Re:widgets limited (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @06:48PM (#12471367)

And then, of course, come the inevitable vulgar ACs, fucktard.

some guy in Russia (Score:3, Funny)

by Eric_Cartman_South_P ( 594330 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @06:52PM (#12471411)

"some guy in Russia"
Just find this guy and kick his ass. Problem fixed, no need to patch shit.

Re:yes but... (Score:5, Funny)

by mike518 ( 869465 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @07:08PM (#12471558)

"magine porn sites auto-installing adware widgets without your knowledge."

i dont need to imagine, im running windows xp.

Re:widgets limited (Score:3, Funny)

by Cecil ( 37810 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @07:55PM (#12471990) Homepage

> > And then, of course, come the inevitable vulgar ACs, f**ktard.

> Like yourself and your hypocritical vulgar potty mouth?

Of course, we can't forget the "joke went *whooooosh* RIGHT over my head" crowd! Thanks for reminding us!

Re:Serves you right (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @08:04PM (#12472047)

I use a Mac, there are not exploits for my OS
whenever [OS X] is found to have a flaw, those zealots are awfully quiet.

Good thing it hasn't happened then.

This is why I run BeOS (Score:1, Funny)

by l0rdpestilence ( 881264 ) writes: on Sunday May 08, 2005 @09:08PM (#12472524) Journal

I run BeOS for this reason: Netpostive is so out of date vary little runs in, sometimes even HTML. (Note to mods this is a funny)

ohohoho this is gonna be fun (Score:1, Funny)

by Pinefresh ( 866806 ) writes: <william DOT simpson AT gmail DOT com> on Sunday May 08, 2005 @10:09PM (#12472910)

gonna send this to all my friends who have a mac

Afraid that won't work cuz... (Score:5, Funny)

by NoData ( 9132 ) writes: <_NoData_@yahoo. c o m> on Sunday May 08, 2005 @10:57PM (#12473196)

IN SOVIET RUSSIA...some guy kicks ass of YOU!

(Oh christ, why? The karma, it burns like my shame)

Re:Oh but it has, and you've proved part of my poi (Score:3, Funny)

by U96 ( 538500 ) writes: on Monday May 09, 2005 @04:47AM (#12474751)

I use a Mac

We could tell from your beret.

Re:Serves you right (Score:2, Funny)

by whitepony02027 ( 789363 ) writes: on Monday May 09, 2005 @11:40AM (#12477843)

but what makes it better is that we have the problems here and now while Windows users have to wait a year and a half for them.

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Malicious Web Pages Can Install Dashboard Widgets 610

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Malicious Web Pages Can Install Dashboard Widgets

yes but... (Score:5, Funny)

Serves you right (Score:3, Funny)

In soviet russia (Score:4, Funny)

HAH! (Score:3, Funny)

Thanks Slashdot! (Score:1, Funny)

Yeah... (Score:3, Funny)

uh... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Thanks Slashdot! (Score:5, Funny)

Awww...How cute! (Score:4, Funny)

YOU BAD MOUTHED ABOUT APPLE! (Score:0, Funny)

O Great Oracle of Slashdot (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Not much of a problem... (Score:2, Funny)

Imagine it? (Score:4, Funny)

Thank God for Firefox and Windows (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Serves you right (Score:3, Funny)

This can't possibly be true (Score:4, Funny)

Re:widgets limited (Score:1, Funny)

some guy in Russia (Score:3, Funny)

Re:yes but... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:widgets limited (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Serves you right (Score:2, Funny)

This is why I run BeOS (Score:1, Funny)

ohohoho this is gonna be fun (Score:1, Funny)

Afraid that won't work cuz... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Oh but it has, and you've proved part of my poi (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Serves you right (Score:2, Funny)

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