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by Spivak 861 days ago
It doesn't ring true for installed software anymore — "virus scanners" have gotten to the point where they just work for most people, desktop software is more difficult develop (for your average hacker wannabe), more difficult to get users to install, and has far less valuable data to go after.

I actually very much like Apple's approach to browser extensions forcing them to be truly installed software and in the purview of tools that protect the rest of the system.

The Chrome browser extension ecosystem is perfectly fine in theory but suffers from reinventing installed software without taking any of the lessons we've learned about OS software. Nice cautionary tale but the web is different.
2 comments
dvdkon 861 days ago
On a typical PC, installed software has even more permissions than a browser extension, and all any malware author has to do is write their own keylogger or upload the browser cookie database. Sure, it's a little more effort, but I think the only real advantage that malicious browser extensions have over native programs is the discoverability and auto-update Google and Mozilla give them "for free".
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asjir 861 days ago
Wouldn't AV pick up uploading browser cookies?
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dvdkon 860 days ago
I don't know, it would simple enough to catch, but would also flag access by file managers. Probably the only way is to test. Generally I've found writing malware from scratch is enough to get it through AV, but I only tested on what I had installed.
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account42 860 days ago
> It doesn't ring true for installed software anymore — "virus scanners" have gotten to the point where they just work for most people

... by allowing software from big corporations not matter how user-hostile it is while randomly flagging/deleting harmless software make by individuals/smaller groups who have not paid the protection racket.

The AV industry is a scam.

> desktop software is more difficult develop (for your average hacker wannabe)

Desktop software can be written in the same languages as webshit and more.

> and has far less valuable data to go after

All data available in browsers is also available to native programs running besides.

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