October 9th, 2009
Mozilla 'Plugin Check' keeps Firefox add-ons secure
Mozilla has expanded its Plugin Check service to provide an easy way for Firefox users to pinpoint browser add-ons that might be vulnerable to hacker attacks.
The new service, available here, effectively scans the browser for all installed plug-ins and provides one-click options to apply patches if an outdated plugin is found.
[ SEE: Firefox to run checks for Adobe Flash patch ]
Here’s what I saw when I visited the page on my Macbook:
A click on the “update” button and a restart of the browser patched my Silverlight Plug-In.
The Plugin Check service debuted in Firefox 3.5.3 with scans for vulnerable versions of the ubiquitous Flash Player plugin.
Separately, Mozilla has packaged a suite of security-centric plugins to help Firefox users stay safe while surfing on the Internet. The package, available here, includes NoScript, Better Privacy, AdBlock Plus and WOTÂ (Web of Trust).
Ryan Naraine is a journalist and security evangelist at Kaspersky Lab. He manages Threatpost.com, a security news portal. Here is Ryan's full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
For daily updates on Ryan's activities, follow him on Twitter.
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