This is why RMS calls auto-updates "universal backdoors".
Most people would be screwed without auto-updates.
Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
21–30 of 44 posts
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#22It appears to be an easy way to at least weaken this practice:
Why doesn't chrome prompt it's user / demands a confirmation of permissions when an extention changes ownership, before updating it again?
It could at least impact the rentability of this buying up of extentions, but definitely help alert users of such things
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#23Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
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) [1] https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts
Many years ago Opera had a blacklist for URLs with wildcard support that was implemented in a native code, not HTML/JS. I used to use it then.
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#25Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#26It appears to be an easy way to at least weaken this practice: Why doesn't chrome prompt it's user / demands a confirmation of permissions when an extention changes ownership, before updating it again? It could at least impact the rentability of this buying up of extentions, but definitely help alert users of such things
How would they know it changed ownership?
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#27It appears to be an easy way to at least weaken this practice: Why doesn't chrome prompt it's user / demands a confirmation of permissions when an extention changes ownership, before updating it again? It could at least impact the rentability of this buying up of extentions, but definitely help alert users of such things
But it couldn't/won't guarantee anything, say Chrome could notify user the change ownership of an extension then the new owner state that they won't be evil, blah blah blah, but 1 or 3 months later they changed their minds and send ads to users. What next?
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#28Use uBlock Origin [1] and uMatrix [2] instead. Also using Inox [2] browser helps too. [1] https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/ [2] https://github.com/gorhill/uMatrix [3] https://github.com/gcarq/inox-patchset/releases
Instead of what?
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#29I 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.
How much did they offer?
Re: Adware vendors buy Chrome Extensions to send ad- and malware-filled updates
#30I 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.
Who pays for extensions? Like, honest question.