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BrikoX@lemmy.zipM to Technology@lemmy.zipEnglish ·
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10 months ago

Browser extensions turn nearly 1 million browsers into website-scraping bots

arstechnica.com

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  • privacy@lemmy.ml
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Browser extensions turn nearly 1 million browsers into website-scraping bots

arstechnica.com

BrikoX@lemmy.zipM to Technology@lemmy.zipEnglish ·
edit-2
10 months ago
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9
link
fedilink
  • cross-posted to:
  • privacy@lemmy.ml
Extensions load unknown sites into invisible Windows. What could go wrong?

Extensions load unknown sites into invisible Windows. What could go wrong?

List of affected extensions: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vT1XgBs25gRlg5e3nYCAff967WMtZZTO-TB3rR9zszaJpTpCVFg8j7FkBxnHb3tw3aHGjKBGSxYyLgV/pubhtml

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  • ØR10N5B3LT@midwest.social
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    10 months ago

    The common thread among all of them: They incorporate MellowTel-js, an open source JavaScript library that allows developers to monetize their extensions.

  • cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de
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    10 months ago

    Here is the list of affected extensions.

    • _‌_反いじめ戦隊@ani.social
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      10 months ago

      any non fash host CSV?

      • cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de
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        10 months ago

        Here: https://files.catbox.moe/pg3cmp.csv

    • St.Elsewhere@threads.net@sh.itjust.works
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      10 months ago

      Take a drink every time you see dog/cat fact browser extensions

  • Auth@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    This is why im extremely careful using browser extensions. The access they have is pretty wide as far as software goes these days. So many people install malicious ones without thinking.

  • WhiteOakBayou@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Dark Reader for edge is on here but the Firefox one isn’t listed so I’m good there i guess? Super sad i had to uninstall my cat fact extensions. It was nice to have instant access to cat facts in the menu bar.

  • Wildmimic@piefed.social
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    You can check if you have an affected extension installed by going to the mellowtel settings page, where you can configure mellowtel if its installed (or get a message that you don’t run mellowtel): https://www.mellow.tel/user-control

  • starchylemming@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    a lot of these seem to be accessibility extensions.

    how nice, preying on the disabled

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