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Don't use autofill in your browser

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Re: Don't use autofill in your browser

#31

Doesn't seem to be an issue in Firefox, as far as I can tell. Certainly didn't fill any other fields for me.

Even if it showed you the fields, it wouldn't be conclusive proof of a privacy leak. Firefox shows links visited without exposing that property outside of render context: https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2010/03/31/plugging-the-cs...

Re: Don't use autofill in your browser

#32
post #30

This seems like an easy fix for the layout engines. Only include a field on autofill if it's currently visible on screen. One might even classify this as a bug.

"Visible on screen" unfortunately is a hard thing to determine. You can easily imagine a textbox with white text on a white background, or a very small textbox, or a textbox that briefly pops up whenever you type a keystroke or click the mouse, or...

Browsers really need to support some mechanism where the user can determine precisely what information will be filled prior to it being handed over to the website. This needn't be difficult; Chrome's existing autofill popup already displays a subset of the information, the popup just needs to give a fuller picture.

Re: Don't use autofill in your browser

#33
post #30

This seems like an easy fix for the layout engines. Only include a field on autofill if it's currently visible on screen. One might even classify this as a bug.

I suspect this would be very difficult to implement robustly. There are just too many ways to hide something: color it white, overlay another element on top, use a weird font that causes it to look like something else, ...

Re: Don't use autofill in your browser

#35

That's a misuse for the term "autocomplete" in my opinion. What he complains about is "autofill", not "autocomplete" as I understand it. Autocomplete takes the values you used previously and gives you suggestions for the stuff you're typing in yourself. Autofill tries to guess what values are required and fills them in without additional interactions. They're very different mechanisms...

Fully agree, using "autocomplete" is misleading. The suggestions that go into auto-complete fields come from the server, autofill from the client.

Re: Don't use autofill in your browser

#36
I remeber noting with concern several years ago that Safari was blindly saving my credit card number along with all my other auto-fill data. Thing is, I recall observing that behavior stopping around Safari 4 or so – the browser appeared to be using something along the lines of the data detectors that put calendar links on times mentioned in emails, and saving everything but the credit card field.

Re: Don't use autofill in your browser

#37

Web devs can recommend input fields not use autocomplete: http://www.w3schools.com/tags/att_input_autocomplete.asp It's considered good practice to use it on login fields, but otherwise depends on whether you think security or user preference should take priority.

Users that find this "good practice" annoying can override it with a bookmarklet or extension: http://kb.mozillazine.org/User_name_and_password_not_remembe...

Re: Don't use autofill in your browser

#38
post #31

Doesn't seem to be an issue in Firefox, as far as I can tell. Certainly didn't fill any other fields for me.

Even if it showed you the fields, it wouldn't be conclusive proof of a privacy leak. Firefox shows links visited without exposing that property outside of render context: https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2010/03/31/plugging-the-cs...

The fields in this demo are being echoed back from the server, so if you see values in them then it is indeed proof they are being leaked.

Re: Don't use autofill in your browser

#39

Doesn't seem to be an issue in Firefox, as far as I can tell. Certainly didn't fill any other fields for me.

It's an issue for me with the Lastpass addon in Firefox, if I use the Lastpass autofill. That doesn't make it a Firefox issue, of course.

And then only if you opt-in for the site.

Re: Don't use autofill in your browser

#40
post #38
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if it showed you the fields, it wouldn't be conclusive proof of a privacy leak. Firefox shows links visited without exposing that property outside of render context: https://blog.mozilla.org/security/2010/03/31/plugging-the-cs...

The fields in this demo are being echoed back from the server, so if you see values in them then it is indeed proof they are being leaked.

The fields appear immediately, the demo actually does this:

    $("#mine").submit( function() {
    $("#hide").css("height","auto");
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