Challenge: Remotely setting preferences for Netscape, Mozilla or other browsers

[Jonathan]

Hi,
Here's an interesting challenge for anyone who's up to it.
When I edit preferences for Netscape or Mozilla, there's an option
that says "block unrequested popup windows." Next to this is a button
that says "Allowed Sites." Presumably, the idea is that if you have a
serious web application that needs to open new browser windows, you
might want to tell your clients to add you to the "Allowed Sites."
Well...when I look at the "Allowed Sites," I'm shocked! It has
all sorts of junk in it...everybody that I WOULDN'T want to put up
popup ads is in there! Moreover, the list is different on different
machines. So presumably, I must have gone to some sites, and they went
through the back door and did something in code that added themselves
to the list!
So...the $6,000,000 question is: How to do it? How do you edit
the user's preferences in code so that when someone visits your site,
you automatically edit that user's preferences? And...can I as a user
block sites from doing this?
-Jonathan

 

[Martin Honnen]

Jonathan wrote:

When I edit preferences for Netscape or Mozilla, there's an option
that says "block unrequested popup windows." Next to this is a button
that says "Allowed Sites." Presumably, the idea is that if you have a
serious web application that needs to open new browser windows, you
might want to tell your clients to add you to the "Allowed Sites."
Well...when I look at the "Allowed Sites," I'm shocked! It has
all sorts of junk in it...everybody that I WOULDN'T want to put up
popup ads is in there! Moreover, the list is different on different
machines. So presumably, I must have gone to some sites, and they went
through the back door and did something in code that added themselves
to the list!
So...the $6,000,000 question is: How to do it? How do you edit
the user's preferences in code so that when someone visits your site,
you automatically edit that user's preferences? And...can I as a user
block sites from doing this?

Well much of Mozilla is scriptable so an install script can change
preferences I think but you as the browser user would need to run the
install script and Mozilla asks you whether to install software or not
if you click an install link. Firefox even increases the hurdle I think
by only allowing installation from *.mozilla.org.
Without you as the browser user agreeing to run an install script I
don't think a site can change your preferences.
You can find more about Mozilla installation scripts here:
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/xpinstall/browser_xpi.html

 

[kaeli]

So...the $6,000,000 question is: How to do it?

Installed any spyware lately?
Check your PC with AdAware or such.
My guess - something you downloaded had additional code in it that ran from
your PC, thus giving it ample permission to modify settings.

--
--
~kaeli~
Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than
standing in a garage makes you a car.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

 

[Jonathan]

Thanks I appreciate it. I'm glad to hear that it's not so easy to
do, but I'll definitely seek to learn more about this spyware problem.