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Firefox Add-Ons Caught With Malware
Doug Caverly
Staff Writer
2010-02-05
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Around 4,600 Firefox users who followed the rules in terms of acquiring add-ons (meaning not getting them from all over the 'Net) may still have picked up some malware. Mozilla admitted today that two add-ons available through the official Add-on for Firefox page came with unwelcome companions.
 | | Firefox Add-Ons Caught With Malware |  |
Master Filer and Version 4.0 of Sothink Web Video Downloader contained Trojan code aimed at Windows users, according to a post on the Mozilla Add-ons Blogs. It explained, "If a user installs one of these infected add-ons, the trojan would be executed when Firefox starts and the host computer would be infected by the trojan. Uninstalling these add-ons does not remove the trojan from a user's system."
Another troubling fact is that the add-ons were available for a very long time (Mozilla cited download numbers from 2008 and 2009 in addition to this year).
Fortunately, a relatively large number of antivirus programs can detect the malware. Antiy-AVL, Avast, AVG, GData, Ikarus, K7AntiVirus, McAfee, Norman, and VBA32 products have all proven capable of sniffing it out.
Also, as of now, Mozilla's using three scanners to inspect add-ons that are uploaded to its site. Just one was in place when Master Filer and Sothink Web Video Downloader 4.0 were introduced.
About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for SecurityProNews, InternetFinancialNews, SearchNewz, and WebProNews.
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