📎 AI Summary:
The thread discusses Microsoft's silent installation of a Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) plugin into Firefox, which has security vulnerabilities and was initially difficult to uninstall. The original poster highlights concerns about potential exploits and previous issues with similar Microsoft plugins, advocating for disabling the plugin until a patch is released. Others mention that Mozilla provided updates to disable the problematic plugins, and the conversation concludes with a clarification about the appropriate forum for such technical topics. Overall, the sentiment emphasizes caution regarding the security risks of Microsoft's software behavior in Firefox.

reghakr

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I know a partial bit of this was posted somewhere, but couldn't locate it:

Whilst it's not okay in Microsoft's eyes for Google to install a plugin into Internet Explorer, increasing the potential surface area of attack, when Microsoft do it to Firefox, it's a different matter. Now a security hole has been found in a plugin that Microsoft have been silently installing into Firefox.

Along with .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, Microsoft have been silently installing a Windows Presentation Foundation Plugin that allows the embedding of XAML applications (an XML-based UI technology) in web pages, called XBAP (XAML Web App).

The exploit is drive-by, meaning that the victim only needs to be lured onto a web-page for the attack to be effective. The only safe thing to do until a patch is issued, is to open Firefox’s AddOn Manager and disable the WPF plugin.

Microsoft were caught earlier this year silently installing a .NET Framework Assistant plugin into Firefox, which could not initially be uninstalled. After some pressure from the press, Microsoft relented and provided an update to enable the uninstall button. That update then broke a number of other Firefox extensions.

More...........Silent Install Firefox Plugin Backfires on Microsoft
 

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Mozilla gave me an update that disabled the offensive plugins for me. I had already disabled that one but there was another that I didn't know about.

Update: that other thread was in the "Water Cooler". Can you tell me if there is a better place for it? I get a little confused about that sometimes.

stueycaster

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Mozilla gave me an update that disabled the offensive plugins for me. I had already disabled that one but there was another that I didn't know about.

Update: that other thread was in the "Water Cooler". Can you tell me if there is a better place for it? I get a little confused about that sometimes.
 

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reghakr

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Since itt wasn't an off-topic item, I chose Windows Discussion Stue
 

stueycaster

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Thanks reghakr. I'll remember that. :)