AppArmor, Firefox, and plug-ins

**mike acker** · November 26th, 2012

Q: Does AppArmor protect Firefox from the installation and/or activation of un-wanted plug-ins?

particularly this new facebook thing?

Q: How would we evaluate the AppArmor profile for Firefox in this regard ?

note: I'm running the profile provided by Canonical.

**vasa1** · November 26th, 2012

Originally Posted by mike acker

Q: Does AppArmor protect Firefox from the installation and/or activation of un-wanted plug-ins?

particularly this new facebook thing?

Q: How would we evaluate the AppArmor profile for Firefox in this regard ?

note: I'm running the profile provided by Canonical.

Recent versions of Firefox will inform you of attempts to install new plug-ins whether you use Apparmor or not.

AFAIK, the Facebook thing isn't on by default. If it is, you can turn it off from about:config. Enter social in the search bar of the about:config page and ensure that the relevant entries are set to false.

Code:

social.active;false
social.enabled;false

etc

**mike acker** · November 26th, 2012

Originally Posted by vasa1

Recent versions of Firefox will inform you of attempts to install new plug-ins whether you use Apparmor or not.

AFAIK, the Facebook thing isn't on by default. If it is, you can turn it off from about:config. Enter social in the search bar of the about:config page and ensure that the relevant entries are set to false.

Code:

social.active;false
social.enabled;false

etc

thanks . as a fugitive from that other o/s i must say i did not appreciate it when sites attempted un-wanted browser updates .

hopefully the only way Firefox gets a plug-in is when the owner selects tools | add ons and selects an update .

this is critical . a hidden update could be re-directing browser activity without the knowlege of the owner and that could be just a detrimental a a root kit .

**cariboo** · November 27th, 2012

Originally Posted by mike acker

thanks . as a fugitive from that other o/s i must say i did not appreciate it when sites attempted un-wanted browser updates .

hopefully the only way Firefox gets a plug-in is when the owner selects tools | add ons and selects an update .

this is critical . a hidden update could be re-directing browser activity without the knowlege of the owner and that could be just a detrimental a a root kit .

If you are using Firefox from the repositories, auto-updating is turned off. The only way to update Firefox, is to update it using update-manager, the Software Centre, synaptic or from the command line. No hidden updates here.

**mike acker** · November 27th, 2012

Originally Posted by cariboo907

If you are using Firefox from the repositories, auto-updating is turned off. The only way to update Firefox, is to update it using update-manager, the Software Centre, synaptic or from the command line. No hidden updates here.

thanks, pard, I appreciate that note.

I did go and check the switches as directed by the earlier post: they are set properly (both=false)

the next question: can a script access that same page and turn the switches on ?

AppArmor should prevent this (I am running Firefox with AppArmor on, using the profile provided by Canonical ) .

**zombifier25** · November 27th, 2012

If you're really paranoid about malicious scripts, you should install NoScript. It gives you per-site permissions for scripts, and it also protects you from certain exploits.

**SlugSlug** · November 27th, 2012

Originally Posted by mike acker

particularly this new facebook thing?

What new facebook thing?

**zombifier25** · November 27th, 2012

Originally Posted by SlugSlug

What new facebook thing?

Firefox 17 has a new feature that integrates Facebook directly into the browser. Before anyone screams "PRIVACY INVASION!!1!!1", it's only a plugin that is activated only if the user chooses to.