Ask HN: Why is Firefox installer listed as harmful file in Chrome?

#1

Post by romanovcode » Fri, Nov 15, 2019, 1:57 PM UTC

Example: https://imgur.com/a/XMeiO4D

Is it only me? Is something is wrong with Firefox installer?

I'm trying to download Firefox from official mozilla website and Chrome says that the file is harmful. For reference it's not the .dmg extension because if I go to Chrome and download googlechrome.dmg it gets downloaded without any problems.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Firefox installer listed as harmful file in Chrome?

#2

Post by Firerouge » Fri, Nov 15, 2019, 2:15 PM UTC

I wouldn't be surprised if it is based on the extension, with exceptions for some specific trusted domains/downloads

Re: Ask HN: Why is Firefox installer listed as harmful file in Chrome?

#3

Post by martin1b » Fri, Nov 15, 2019, 3:06 PM UTC

Like the old adage : "Excel isn't done until Lotus won't run.'

Re: Ask HN: Why is Firefox installer listed as harmful file in Chrome?

#4

Post by mikl » Fri, Nov 15, 2019, 3:24 PM UTC

Pretty sure Chrome says that for all .dmg files, not just Firefox.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Firefox installer listed as harmful file in Chrome?

#5

Post by steve1977 » Fri, Nov 15, 2019, 3:30 PM UTC

Well, it is harmful for Google.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Firefox installer listed as harmful file in Chrome?

#6

Post by hayleox » Fri, Nov 15, 2019, 3:58 PM UTC

I just tested and I got warnings for neither file. Maybe they warned you for the first .dmg, but didn't warn you again for Chrome because they'd already warned you about .dmg files?

Re: Ask HN: Why is Firefox installer listed as harmful file in Chrome?

#7

Post by jammygit » Fri, Nov 15, 2019, 4:27 PM UTC

Isn’t this libel to some extent?

Re: Ask HN: Why is Firefox installer listed as harmful file in Chrome?

#8

Post by jolmg » Fri, Nov 15, 2019, 4:38 PM UTC

> For reference it's not the .dmg extension because if I go to Chrome and download googlechrome.dmg it gets downloaded without any problems.

That doesn't mean it's not the extension, as they may have somehow whitelisted their own files. I would expect that warning to come up with any file format that can carry executable code.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Firefox installer listed as harmful file in Chrome?

#9

Post by proactivesvcs » Fri, Nov 15, 2019, 6:27 PM UTC

US English Firefox for mac OS looks pretty clean, according to VirusTotal: https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/d0bd62e9b57062e3cb04ac05...

I wonder if Chrome is including the Mac sandbox, which is listed, in its decision to label the installer as unsafe?

Re: Ask HN: Why is Firefox installer listed as harmful file in Chrome?

#10

Post by gjvnq » Fri, Nov 15, 2019, 7:02 PM UTC

Chrome often list executable files as harmful IFF they are downloaded via HTTP instead of HTTPS.