2

I'm expert at computers so I dont fall for small tricks like phishing and such.

I just wanted to know if there is any way you could actually get infected without (iframes, javascript, flash) enabled when using firefox.

3
  • How would an inline frame infect you with malware? JavaScript exploits are also very uncommon.
    – Dennis
    Feb 12, 2013 at 15:03
  • 1
    The worst invasions of self-replicating malware that have passed through the internet have used none of the above. So, the answer would be Yes. And Firefox wasn't the answer for preventing any of the infection vectors. Security is multi-layered and involves more than a single software solution. Feb 12, 2013 at 16:05
  • 1
    Whenever you open a webpage, the browser reads and processes some of the data it gets. Each time a program processes data, it could make a mistake and do unwanted things. So it is possible, but unlikely. You might want to check David Wheeler's homepage <dwheeler.com> for some discussion and suggestions.
    – vonbrand
    Feb 13, 2013 at 3:33

4 Answers 4

4

Yes, you can get infected from "just using Firefox". Firefox is just software, and all software has bugs. Using NoScript greatly reduces the attack surface available to the bad guys, but there are still other attack vectors that may be vulnerable (e.g. downloading a corrupt font). That's why it's important to keep your browser and OS up-to-date...but that's still not a guarantee of safety. Even if you use "best practices" and run your browser in a sandbox in a VM in a limited user account, you can still get infected.

I also want to warn you against overconfidence. The more confident you are in your ability to spot scams, the more likely it is you'll fall for one. Many, many self-proclaimed experts who thought they knew better have fallen for phishing scams or advance-fee fraud.

These are actually two sides of the same coin. Always remember that neither your computer nor your own brain are impregnable.

2

Yes it is. As Kruug mentions, viruses can and will attack any computer that is plugged into the internet or has infected media connected to it. There are enough botnets doing random attacks that unpatched machines can be infected within minutes. Anything less then complete isolation will lessen your risk but not eliminate it. For most people this is an unreasonable level of security, but if you install a good AV, keep up with your updates and use common sense when browsing the web you should be fine.

enter image description here

1

A lot of viruses can spread using browser vulnerabilities, even if EVERYTHING is disabled.

They can just use a vulnerability to execute their code remotely (Remote Code Execution).
Or they can use an exploit to gain Administrator privileges (Privilege Escalation).
Lately there were many 0-day vulnerabilities in Firefox that allowed attacker to
DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL his virus AUTOMATICALLY without interacting with users...
Just look HERE and you'll understand what I'm talkin' about.

And there are always a lot of unknown vulnerabilities in browsers, and of course, they're mostly fixed in newer versions... So, always use updated browser and antivirus, and never use suspicious plug-ins/extensions.

Good Luck!

0

Yes. File downloads are a great way to get them, especially when using P2P services like torrents, LimeWire, BearShare, etc.

If you're smart/safe enough to filter out obviously bad downloads (such as reading comments), you can still be protected, as well as by keeping your AV up to date and enabled (along with a firewall). But, don't get complacent.

3
  • LimeWire, BearShare, etc are not firefox plugins though.
    – Hennes
    Feb 12, 2013 at 15:04
  • @Hennes Very true, but they don't have to be to get a virus from them. Viruses aren't attached to browsers, they come through your internet connection from any source. Even online gaming can be subject to man-in-the-middle attacks.
    – Kruug
    Feb 12, 2013 at 15:06
  • 2
    I just read the OPs question as 'when using firefox' as in 'getting a virus from just browsing'. Not quite the same as in the title. If he did not mean that then just powering an unupdated machine is already enough to get a virus/worm/trouble.
    – Hennes
    Feb 12, 2013 at 15:11

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .