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Firefox Extension "Download Statusbar" Now Adware - Maybe Malware

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J-Mac:
Oh well. I have used this extension since I installed my first Firefox beta, way back whenever the heck that was... my initial post at the Mozillazine Firefox forum was in July 2004! But one of my "must have" extensions has finally gone rogue: Download Statusbar.

When I started Firefox today a new tab opened announcing an update to Download Statusbar had been silently installed and, oh yeah - it nonchalantly mentioned in the body of the update notice that there is a "new sponsorship supported" option. But it's not really an option; if you don’t enable it, it enables itself after a few days. It apparently also adds a referrer string to certain URLs plus something to do with Yahoo and YouTube. No explanation; the developer's home page - which had been located on the MozDev web site - is gone without a trace. There is a new home page that is a one-page site with only a link to install the extension; nothing else there. Bad news all around. Better to ditch this extension before you get bit!

Another user posted the following at the Download Statusbar page at Mozilla Add-Ons:

I am not a Javascript expert, but I looked at the source code and
* If you have the sponsorship enabled, it does something with Yahoo and YouTube (couldn't figure out what exactly, looks like displaying ads).
* If you haven't, it will be automatically enabled again after 7 days.

Edit: it also looks like the add-on adds a referrer string to the URLs of certain websites.
I found the following comment in the code:
"Determines if this is the first run of the day, if so the calling function appends the request with a querystring variable." (pluginnetwork/pluginnetwork.js:450)

--- End quote ---

I don’t understand all of that post, but I get enough of it to know I don’t want any part of Download Statusbar anymore! Gotta find me a safer replacement. Anyone know of one?

Thanks!

Jim

cyberdiva:
Jim, what did Download Statusbar do when it was functioning properly?  I'm just curious, since I had never heard of it.

eleman:
It changed the shape of firefox's download manager. Made it more compact.

J-Mac:
Jim, what did Download Statusbar do when it was functioning properly?  I'm just curious, since I had never heard of it.
-cyberdiva (October 28, 2011, 10:18 AM)
--- End quote ---

It put the status of current downloads on the status bar. If you look at its extension page there is a series of photos that show it.

Jim

EDIT: Here's one pic that shows it well:

[attachimg=#1][/attachimg]

nosh:
Thanks for the heads-up. I updated and it didn't do anything obvious. Not knowing is the scary part. Rolling back and preventing it from updating now.

You could hunt for an older .xpi if you don't find a suitable replacement.

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