That is why I never install browser extensions.
Do you live without adblock?
Host blocking at the OS level. No need for extensions.
Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
11–20 of 44 posts
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#12I have a relatively popular novelty extension and I get approached by ad companies to buy/monetize it regularly.
I refuse, because I despise advertising and I don't need the money.
But I suspect I am in the minority and that many extension owners probably just decide it is easier to sell it and not think about it.
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#13Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#14This is why RMS calls auto-updates "universal backdoors".
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#15Yeah, I have a Firefox extension with around 50k installs, and get emails every so often from people offering to monetize it. Here's an excerpt from a recent one, from Nick at NJB Brands Sales: > We offer .50 CTR (per 1,000) traffic and can use each unique IP up to 10 times a day. There is no limitation to what we will purchase other than the cap per unique IP. We offer flexible payment options via PayPal, Bitcoin, W…
Ha! We got the exact same message. Really weird getting a glimpse of that part of the internet.
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#16I have a relatively popular novelty extension and I get approached by ad companies to buy/monetize it regularly. I refuse, because I despise advertising and I don't need the money. But I suspect I am in the minority and that many extension owners probably just decide it is easier to sell it and not think about it.
I switched my chrome extension to a paid model (one off payments). Most the offers from these shady people, work out as approximately 1 year worth of sales.
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#17That is why I never install browser extensions.
I'm not sure about Chrome but on Firefox for a time being one still can install extensions the classic "old school" software installation way - by placing the files on disk.
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#18That is why I never install browser extensions.
Do you live without adblock?
you can do it quite effectively outside the browser using a host block[1] list or pi-hole. my uBlock now only fires sporadically for cases I don't catch with the /etc/hosts approach (e.g. disallowing e.g. remote fonts)
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#19Not even Firefox manually review extensions anymore. Sad, happened twice for me (one was a cryptominer) so now I have like 2 extensions installed.
Not true. Extensions are still subject to manual review, however they are permitted to be posted publically as soon as they pass a suite of automated checks.
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#20That is why I never install browser extensions.
Do you live without adblock?
Install the version from Github instead of the store, and you can avoid the problem. Instructions for Chrome/Firefox here: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/blob/master/dist/README.md
Other browsers see the overview here: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/blob/master/README.md#chro...