Security experts are advising that spyware that targets browsers from the Mozilla Foundation has been spotted--a threat that could worsen as its Firefox browser takes market share from Microsoft.
"According to my research team, this site does not target Firefox, but it does target Mozilla," Stiennon said. "(It's) only a matter of time now until a Firefox spy is discovered."
Experts believe that Mozilla-based browsers such as Firefox have become a greater target for spyware as their market share has rapidly increased over the last six months--from 2.4 percent in May to 7.4 percent in November, according to Web traffic measurement company OneStat.com. Firefox has said that it is aiming for 10 percent of Web surfers by the end of 2005.
David McGuinness, a Mozilla contributor, said Firefox protects PC users by displaying a yellow information bar if a site that is not Update.mozilla.org tries to automatically install code. But he warned that it will be more difficult to protect systems against a stealth install.
"It all boils down to user education. People can install applications with variable amounts of effort from all browsers. It's the stealth attacks that are the problem, where people get infected without running anything themselves," McGuinness said.
