22-01-2007, 10:45 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 790
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Mozilla metamorphosing into Microsoft!
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,17682061
Thoughts / Warnings On Bookmark Checking And Re-directs
Quote:
"I read through most of the posts and news stories a few days ago related to the teacher facing a prison term for porn pop-ups that opened in front of students. Since then, I became a "victim" of unintentional porn viewing, something that is very easy to do as others have noted.
To begin ... I'm security conscious. I use FireFox, Proxo, DNSKong, antivirus software, anti-trojan software, the latest updates on all software, I use Linux as well for some work, etc. Despite all that, while cleaning up some old bookmarks (some dating back to 1998-1999) which were supposed to link to MS Access resources, I clicked on a bookmark that had been entitled:
HelpTalk Online - MS Access Support
The underlying URL seemed safe enough: h t t p : //www .helptalk.net/forums/access/
so I clicked the bookmark to see if it was dead or still contained any relevant info, and I was immediately taken to:
h t t p : //www .hotlocales*rts.com/search.asp
(WARNING: the above links contain adult content)
Obviously, that re-direct could have been embarrassing at best or illegal at worst depending on the environment in which I had checked the bookmark (I cannot comment on malware or pop-ups that may be generated at the site as I did not check the page without security apps / blockers running). Luckily, I was by myself when I checked the bookmark (no wisecracking, please.  ) so I wasn't humiliated nor do I expect to be arrested any time soon.
The root address of w w w.helpdesk.net still shows some computer related resources, but it also contains advertising links to porn. I am 100%, absolutely certain that the site contained no such material when it was bookmarked as an Access resource many years ago.
I usually clean up bookmarks manually, but think about the tens and perhaps hundreds of inadvertent re-directs to pornographic or illegal material that may occur, without any user-awareness, if you are using a bookmark-culling utility such as AM-DeadLink.
And finally, having had that recent and topical experience, I would like to re-emphasize information I posted a while back regarding behavior of FireFox and its new feature, Live Titles (aka, microsummaries).
The functionality of Live Titles includes FireFox connecting to a site simply by right-clicking on a bookmark and checking properties. Without getting into details again, it is obvious that simply checking the properties of bookmarks may leave data on a PC that leads to false forensic conclusions about how / why certain sites were accessed. This was one of my concerns when I brought it up originally, and the case of the teacher being convicted of a crime by an incompetent prosecution / jury only adds to the concern.
If you did not read it before or find the information more compelling in light of recent events, see my posts here (includes a Proxomitron filter to stop the Live Titles functionality when simply checking Bookmark Properties):
»FireFox / Mozilla HTTP Headers: X-Moz
I'm not suggesting that any of us have been oblivious to re-directs and such (maybe the Live Titles issue is new to you), but having such things occur at the wrong time or place may put you in significant jeapardy. Be safe and don't get arrested if you can avoid it."
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Soo how do you feel partner? 
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