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Firefox is not immune to exploits

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Saw this story at Yahoo:http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20060208/tc_pcworld/124659Many fed up with exploits on IE have moved to Mozilla or Firefox--I am no exception and I use Mozilla for most of my browsing. But some (myself included) have always maintained that these browsers, as well as other OS's, are just as vulnerable to exploits and virus/malware/spyware authors only avoid them due to lack of "payback" or interest based on the number of users using these browsers.That may be changing. We should always use the Internet under the assumption that (unless an OS or browser was created by the Gods) nothing is perfect. You don't have to visit a warez or porn site to get hit with an exploit--mistyping a url is often all you need to do.I still prefer to use Mozilla or Firefox, largely they're under the radar. But that time may be coming to an end.-John

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Guest ThrottleUp

John Im very impressed by Opera, infact I left FireFox for Opera. Granted I miss the brilliant extensions FF has but I find Opera faster and less of a memory-hog. I also prefer its interface. Give it a whirl...specially now that they removed the adverts from the free version as well :)http://www.opera.com/

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I like firefox but it does take up a lot of resources...but nothing is immune, not even a mac, or linux. linux and mac have more security updates than windows :)

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It has to do with what's in the highest use and by who. Hackers want to do the most damage in the shortest time, so they target a program that's the most widespread. You also have your hackers doing it just for fun, and then the anarchist type that see it as trying to bring down corporate america and "stick it to the man". Since Microsoft's products are generally the most used, they tend to get hit the hardest. Even for the ones doing it just for fun, nothing gets you in the news faster than grinding a corporate headquarters to a halt for a day or two with your little virus.----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach


John Morgan

 

"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach

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Guest Derek D

I have always been puzzled by the misconception that Microsoft software always has the most bugs and vulnerabilities. I also know a lot of people who won't touch MS software simply because it's Microsoft, as if the fact that it's a multi-billion dollar corporation automatically makes it evil (Mac and Linux users often fall into this category).As has been pointed out several times in this thread, any software can have vulnerabilities--it's simply a question of how many hackers are trying to find them. With that in mind, if I had to decide between using vulnerable software designed by a multi-billion dollar corporation employing a hundred-man team charged with resolving issues the moment they are found, or a vulnerable piece of software made by a relatively small group of good-intentioned volunteers who may or may not have the capacity to resolve a major exploit, it should be obvious which one is preferable.Derek D.

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>Saw this story at Yahoo:>>http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20060208/tc_pcworld/124659>>Many fed up with exploits on IE have moved to Mozilla or>Firefox--I am no exception and I use Mozilla for most of my>browsing. But some (myself included) have always maintained>that these browsers, as well as other OS's, are just as>vulnerable to exploits and virus/malware/spyware authors only>avoid them due to lack of "payback" or interest based on the>number of users using these browsers.>>That may be changing. We should always use the Internet under>the assumption that (unless an OS or browser was created by>the Gods) nothing is perfect. You don't have to visit a warez>or porn site to get hit with an exploit--mistyping a url is>often all you need to do.>>I still prefer to use Mozilla or Firefox, largely they're>under the radar. But that time may be coming to an end.>>-JohnThere was just recently a security update to firefox, (ver 1.501) so it looks like it either has been expoited already or, a potential exploit was found.


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Tom

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> I also know a lot of people who won't touch>MS software simply because it's Microsoft, as if the fact that>it's a multi-billion dollar corporation automatically makes it>evil (Mac and Linux users often fall into this category).>actually its because of their shady business practices and their desire to stay a monopolyit has nothing to do with just because its a multi-billion dollar company and everything to do with how it became a multi-billion dollar company

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Alex,I did not open this thread as an avenue for Microsoft bashing. Please put and end to it now.-John

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sorry John, I was just responding to a comment I felt was inaccurate

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the comment wasn't inaccurate. The reasoning you supplied is just the smokescreen most people use, their real reasons are jealousy.Microsoft business practices are no different from those of any other company, they're just more visible because Microsoft is larger and put in a different light by the press because it's politically correct to do so.If my employer (we have some 70 people) buys a smaller competitor to "consolidate the market and improve our market leadership" noone thinks twice about it and it's reported using that same phrase which we'd put in our press release.If Microsoft does the same it's reported as "Microsoft destroys another competitor to increase their monopoly", which I doubt Microsoft would put into their press release like that.Something's not right there.And yes, we have in our market pretty much the same position as Microsoft does in theirs, with some 70% (and rising) of potential customers using our product.

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Potential exploits have been found quite a lot recently in FF. In fact more are found in it than in IE, but where potential exploits in IE are frontpage news in the paper those in FF are swept under the rug and kept quiet.In part it's quite understandable that more problems are found with FF than with IE. It's a newer less mature product after all.But at the same time they claim it's infallible because it's open source, so by their own logic there should be no bugs at all :)Of course Netscape (on which both Mozilla and FF are based) is well known for its many bugs and very slow response to them from the development team.It's also known for its terrible CSS and Javascript engines which were inherited (though somewhat improved upon) by FF (but it still won't read more complex W3 validated CSS in some cases, something I've found out testing my own code which works fine under IE but fails under FF despite passing the strictest W3 validation).No browser is perfect, each has its strengths and weaknesses, each has its place.But the whole anti-Microsoft religion has made it heresy to even hint that Firefox might not be immune from bugs and leaks.

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