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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.
View All Articles by Doug Caverly
About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for SecurityProNews, InternetFinancialNews, SearchNewz, and WebProNews.
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