From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Jun 3 09:18:04 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D8DDA1065670 for ; Wed, 3 Jun 2009 09:18:04 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from cpghost@cordula.ws) Received: from fw.farid-hajji.net (fw.farid-hajji.net [213.146.115.42]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2F47F8FC15 for ; Wed, 3 Jun 2009 09:18:03 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from cpghost@cordula.ws) Received: from phenom.cordula.ws (phenom [192.168.254.60]) by fw.farid-hajji.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 13B502E363; Wed, 3 Jun 2009 11:18:00 +0200 (CEST) Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 11:18:00 +0200 From: cpghost To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20090603091800.GA1177@phenom.cordula.ws> References: <4d3f56c90906020812t40c5fcbv178bcd7f702356f@mail.gmail.com> <4ad871310906020843n3e7dc96ap28d5d622e844abf1@mail.gmail.com> <20090603004914.73f40a60@gluon.draftnet> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.19 (2009-01-05) Subject: Re: Open_Source X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:18:05 -0000 On Wed, Jun 03, 2009 at 08:49:50AM +0200, Wojciech Puchar wrote: > >> > >> I mean things like sending private data to someone else, scanning for > >> other programs i have on disk, my addressbook etc. > > > > Given enough incentive, it unfortunately seems even open source > > developers will resort to sneaky tactics: > > http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/05/mozilla-ponders-policy-change-after-firefox-extension-battle.ars > > but it's at least much more difficult. And - my other rule fits very well > here. Avoid OVERCOMPLEX programs. > > Unfortunately there are no well done WWW browsers for unix in the world. > links -g is an exceptions, but in the same time it's quite limited. > But have best fonts :) You're right: browser code is overly complex, and a nightmare to audit properly for security purposes. That's why when working in a sensitive environment, I browse the web primarily with elinks (with JavaScript disabled, of course), and secondarily and only when absolutely necessary with the usual firefox+noscript+abp... both browsers running in a virtual box (qemu, virtualbox) dedicated to this purpose and this purpose only. Of course, I'm taking more precautions, as running in a box may still not be 100% secure, if someone creative enough found a way to break out of the guest OS into the host OS; but everything else is just irresponsible and way too risky, from a security point of view. Surely, not everyone has the same security requirements, and YMMV. ;-) -cpghost. -- Cordula's Web. http://www.cordula.ws/