How do I prevent unauthorized third party launch of my browser?
With all the concern for security I just can't understand why a third party program can just open my browser without permission or warning and load any page it pleases. I install a new program or update an old and it opens a Thank You or Getting Started page. I uninstall a program and it opens a Reason For Leaving survey. I click a button in a memory intensive game and here comes Firefox to suck up the rest of my RAM and cause a crash. At least with the combined protections of Mozilla and my anti-virus I needn't worry too much about being taken to a malicious site or other evil applications of this vulnerability but it's annoying. Shouldn't the decision to open Firefox (or any program) be mine alone?
Chosen solution
OGRastamon wrote:
I don't understand. If a web browser can't know from whence an application is launched then how could another program.
If your firewall or other security software has this feature, you can set up rules for dealing with this. For example, by default you could prevent external applications from launching web browsers. You could then set up rules for specific applications to allow them to launch web browsers. That way you could still click links in an e-mail client and open them in a browser, for instance.
OGRastamon wrote:
Did you mean that Firefox does not currently detect this? That it is not possible to implement?
As far as I know, no browser allows you to ignore links launched by external applications. You can request this feature by submitting an enhacement bug report, if a relevant one doesn't already exist.
OGRastamon wrote:
If by my "computer's application page" you mean "set program access and computer defaults" then no, it does not work. The only options are any of your installed browsers or your current browser.
You could break the association for the HTTP and HTTPS protocols in the registry, but I don't recommend it.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\http\UserChoice HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\https\UserChoiceRead this answer in context 👍 1
All Replies (7)
When launched by an external application, a web browser can't know if you launched the link or if the application did it without your permission. You'll have to check if your firewall or other security software has an option to control which applications can launch a web browser.
I don't understand. If a web browser can't know from whence an application is launched then how could another program. Did you mean that Firefox does not currently detect this? That it is not possible to implement?
You always need to be cautious when clicking links or buttons on web pages, especially if things looks suspicious and might be a trick to either infect you with malware or otherwise seduce you to go to a suspicious website.
You should never rely on security software, but always be cautious and if in any doubt then do not click the link.
You can always do a Google search to see if something comes up.
I don't know what you're on about. You've surely misunderstood something. My post doesn't have anything to do with clicking links so even if I were a complete noob your warning regarding malicious links would still be irrelevant.
If what you want is for any browser to not start unless you want it to, about the only way is to go to your computers applications page (this tells the computer what program to use for what type of file) and select no program for all web stuff. I am not sure if this would work, or if the computer would default to its built in browser.
If by my "computer's application page" you mean "set program access and computer defaults" then no, it does not work. The only options are any of your installed browsers or your current browser.
Chosen Solution
OGRastamon wrote:
I don't understand. If a web browser can't know from whence an application is launched then how could another program.
If your firewall or other security software has this feature, you can set up rules for dealing with this. For example, by default you could prevent external applications from launching web browsers. You could then set up rules for specific applications to allow them to launch web browsers. That way you could still click links in an e-mail client and open them in a browser, for instance.
OGRastamon wrote:
Did you mean that Firefox does not currently detect this? That it is not possible to implement?
As far as I know, no browser allows you to ignore links launched by external applications. You can request this feature by submitting an enhacement bug report, if a relevant one doesn't already exist.
OGRastamon wrote:
If by my "computer's application page" you mean "set program access and computer defaults" then no, it does not work. The only options are any of your installed browsers or your current browser.
You could break the association for the HTTP and HTTPS protocols in the registry, but I don't recommend it.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\http\UserChoice HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\https\UserChoice