OT: Google Chrome browser

[Jeff_D_in_MD]

Has anybody else tried the new Chrome browser from Google today? Windows XP/Vista only, unfortunately. It's very nicely done - I am using it just now. The beta version is at http://www.google.com/chrome .

[Mr. Nightime]

I tried installing it, and it crashes before I can get anything out of it.

I'm going to try removing and reinstalling it.

 

EDIT: Reinstalling didn't help. I'll wait for a while and try again.

 

 

[wmp]

No thanks. I've got plenty of lousy browsers already. Don't need a whole new way to do the same old stuff. Especially a beta version.

 

 

[Dave Horne]

I installed it on two computers - no problems.

 

I found one minor glitch - the favicons did not import, I just see placeholders until I actually visit the site in question.

 

I assume the Google Toolbar will be an option sometime in the near future?

[delirium]

No thanks. I've got plenty of lousy browsers already. Don't need a whole new way to do the same old stuff. Especially a beta version.

 

 

+1, same with me, besides google has reputation of stealing user behavior information without asking for permission.

[Ian Sharrock]

After reading this article I'll give it a miss....

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/03/google_chrome_eula_sucks/

[Dave Horne]

I'm guessing the same could be said (re EULA) about this forum as well. Keyboard Magazine owns what you write here, right?

[wmp]

No thanks. I've got plenty of lousy browsers already. Don't need a whole new way to do the same old stuff. Especially a beta version.

 

 

+1, same with me, besides google has reputation of stealing user behavior information without asking for permission.

 

Everybody loves Google because they're so darn good at indexing everything. If folks were paying attention, they would fear Google because they're so darn good at indexing everything. Big Brother is only cool when he's being your big brother. I'd consider anything from Google a major security risk, except for the fact that it's hard to make Windoze worse.

 

Funny that Chrome is the generic pejorative term I've been using for years to describe all that pretty crippled crap from M$ and Apple.

[delirium]

I bought recently computer with vista (only because they don't offer XP anymore) and it was already pre-installed google toolbar, google desktop search etc. I've been programming stuff like that once and I know they practically can record your keys strokes so go figure...

I had to remove all theses "spy" agents of course but 90% of people not familiar with these will never know they are being traced...

[Dave Horne]

What's the worse that could happen, they'd learn your ... profile?

[wmp]

What's the worse that could happen, they'd learn your ... profile?

 

No, it can be a lot worse than that. It is a lot worse than that. You are the sort of computer user these folks love. You only look at the pretty chrome and have no idea what's going on under the hood. You will do as you are told until the rights to you are sold.

 

[Dave Horne]

wmp, I think you'll find the same EULA for the Google Toolbar\Search (as well as for Chrome).

[zephonic]

Although I sympathize with wmp's concerns, I think you should not overstate the risks either. Billions of users on the net, and all pretty much doing everything EXCEPT, of course, looking for porn :-)

The Big Brother on the web is not much more scary than the one in real life (and I don't mean the TV show). They can track you in real life as well, but they'd have to have a reason to do so. Same on the net, they could but why would they? Just don't give them a reason.

 

 

[delirium]

wrong, linking IP address to any data coming from your computer is easy as 123, and we don't even sure if that is not happening already. Then in few years you'll want let say to run for office and bad guys dig out some porn sitting on your computer, or that you're gay like Dave e.g. came up recently when he wanted blow job, so you never know what will turn against you.

 

 

[Dave Horne]

wrong, linking IP address to any data coming from your computer is easy as 123, and we don't even sure if that is not happening already. Then in few years you'll want let say to run for office and bad guys dig out some porn sitting on your computer, or that you're gay like Dave e.g. came up recently when he wanted blow job, so you never know what will turn against you.

 

 

How am I supposed to respond to this?

 

Perhaps rereading the EULA of the Keyboard Forum for starters?

 

... a plethora of empty profiles

[delirium]

 

... a plethora of empty profiles

 

 

Well your fame and profile is so rich and full of...that will be enough for both of us.

 

[Dave Horne]

delirium, you know, you're really the last person who should question my preferences; I just had a sandwich with your mother and your sister.

 

 

 

[zephonic]

Wow, when did this turn into the GuitarPlayer Forum?

 

[Dave Horne]

This is what you get when there's no accountability.

[Yoozer]

Then in few years you'll want let say to run for office and bad guys dig out some porn sitting on your computer, or that you're gay like Dave e.g. came up recently when he wanted blow job, so you never know what will turn against you.

 

Like this, you mean?

http://www.radaronline.com/from-the-magazine/2007/09/google_fiction_evil_dangerous_surveillance_control_1.php

 

Love the interface and the speed, by the way. I wonder how Firefox would do with Webkit instead of Gecko.

[Mr. Nightime]

You DO NOT want to use chrome at this time.

 

CLONK HERE FOR STORY

 

Whoa! Google Chrome has crashed. Restart now? While Googles Chrome team is cheering, Rishi Narang from Evil Fingers is typing and releasing a proof of concept for a denial of service vulnerability that is successfully crashing the Chrome browser with all tabs. According to Narangs advisory :

 

An issue exists in how chrome behaves with undefined-handlers in chrome.dll version 0.2.149.27. A crash can result without user interaction. When a user is made to visit a malicious link, which has an undefined handler followed by a special character, the chrome crashes with a Google Chrome message window Whoa! Google Chrome has crashed. Restart now?. It crashes on int 3″ at 0×01002FF3 as an exception/trap, followed by POP EBP instruction when pointed out by the EIP register at 0×01002FF4.

 

Nothings impossible the impossible just takes a little longer.

 

Whenever a new product is in its introduction stage, it would logically attract a lot of attention from security researchers trying to a make a point that its vulnerable, and that some of the vulnerabilities are pretty trivial. For instance, yesterday David Maynor from Errata Security pin pointed possibilities for exploitation in Googles Chrome, saying that :

 

Google just released Chrome, their own web browser. We decided to run it through Looking Glass and it doesnt look half bad. They at least have ASLR enabled on a few of their libraries, no NX though. Chrome is not as bad as some apps I have seen but that is not saying much.

 

Whats important though, is whether or not the browser release would also start attracting the attention of cybercriminals. Being anything but old-fashioned, they too do their homework and take into consideration the market share of a particular browser in order to increase the impact of exploiting it. Consequently, for the time being the level of exploitability of Googles Chrome is right after Operas from the perspective of the malicious attacker taking into consideration Chromes non-existent market share.

 

Would the level of exploitability change? In the fist quarter of 2009, Google would presumably release stats of the number of people who downloaded Chrome, demonstrating nothing else but the introduction stage of their browser. The question is, how many of those who downloaded it would actually stick with it, and would companies embrace it if it does gets popular enough, potentially increasing the exploitability level of any upcoming vulnerabilities?

 

Considering the fact that according to public statistics of usage share of web browsers, IE6 users are just as many as IE7 ones, converting from Firefox or IE to Googles Chrome is not going to happen overnight.

 

 

[delirium]

BTW what is the point of giving people beta version?

can't they afford QA department???

[doc taz]

Wow, thanks for finding that post. As it is, on my main PC, I use FF, IE, and Seamonkey in Vista. FF + SM sit in the Linux partitions of the setup (32bit slackware + 64bit 64 Studio).

 

I also realize the issues behind the user license. Some people are giving them the benefit of the doubt, but I'm not holding my breath on those counts. Also, I have plenty of RAM on the main PC, so browsers hardly crash... well, IE still does, but at least Vista's more stable than other MS OS's in my experience... after a few major tweaks, that is.

[doc taz]

BTW what is the point of giving people beta version?

can't they afford QA department???

 

Mozilla and Microsoft do ask for help from regular folk. It's the best way to find any potential bugs that might pop up. That's because of the millions of different setups that exist in the broader user space.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/beta/default.aspx

 

http://quality.mozilla.org/get-involved

 

 

[Yoozer]

BTW what is the point of giving people beta version?

Guess what - with today's software you are given a beta version.

 

The difference is in the practice of eating one's own dogfood.

 

can't they afford QA department???

Yes. So can Microsoft. Doesn't mean Windows never crashes, does it?

 

[delirium]

can't they afford QA department???

Yes. So can Microsoft. Doesn't mean Windows never crashes, does it?

 

MS Windows never crashes...it just gracefully stop responding with beautiful blue sky picture...