The Clickjack Fix and Its Side Effects
ZDnet and other technical news sites have reported that clickjacking — a potentially serious threat — can affect any browser.
Clickjacking from the Layperson’s Perspective
In laymen’s terms, clickjacking happens when a malicious page is hiding behind what appears to be a safe webpage. When you click on an item, your computer is “clickjacked” by the malicious code, which then hijacks various components of your computer.This takes place without your knowledge.
Generally, webcams are hijacked, but clickjacking is not limited to affecting a cam. For example, your microphone or sound system can be exploited, or your computer can be taken over in other ways.
Particularly vulnerable to clickjacking was Adobe’s Flash Player, but Adobe has issued a fix that addresses the issue.
What Browsers are Safe?
Clickjacking is a cross-browser malicious code, which affects virtually all Internet browsers. It cannot be quickly fixed by disabling javascript.
The only known solution is a “No Script” add-on that works with Firefox.
Problems with the Clickjacking Fix
After using No Script for a week or so, I disabled it because it made web surfing a chore. Virtually every site I visited was partially blocked due to a YouTube video, javascript code or ad embedded on the page. For instance, the following were all blocked by No Script:
- Google Analytics
- Pepperjam network
- Peelaway Ads
- Voxant’s newsroom
- Chitika
- and many, many more (see the partial list of affiliate programs and other utilities blocked by No Script).
There’s a little bit of good news for Google publishers and advertisers. Adsense is automatically whitelisted by the No Script add-on. Most of the others have to be manually whitelisted. It is highly unlikely that the average Internet user will do so.
If clickjacking is indeed a serious threat and script blocking solutions are the only way to fight back, then I can see online advertising taking a big hit. Adserver Plus and other heavy hitting advertising networks were blocked by the Firefox add-on.
Conclusion: Maybe the Threat is Overrated
My web browsing experience is back up to speed since I’ve disabled No Script and so far I haven’t been hit by any type of clickjacking activities. It is possible that the threat is not as bad as some would claim.
The NotGuru blog has posted some videos that show exactly how clickjacking works and how to install fixes.
Related posts:
- What is Adsense? So how can you make money from adsense? This is...
- Making Money From Your Blog Click here to learn how to make profitable blogs. You...
- Make Money At Home With Your Computer - Things You Need To Know About Make Money At Home With Your Computer For some people blogs are just a way to express...
- Why Google Adsense does not Make Sense There are hundreds of ways to make money using the...
- Alternatives to Google Adsense Google Adsense is a wonderful way to make money. However,...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.