Security/Safe Browsing
Name Change
Note: Safe Browsing has been renamed to Phishing Protection.
Overview
Google Safe Browsing was an anti-phishing extension released by Google on labs.google.com in December 2005. Google has released this extension to the Mozilla Foundation under MPL 1.1/GPL 2.0/LGPL 2.1 in order that it might be used as part of Firefox if desired.
We've landed this change on the trunk as a global extension as of 7 March 2006. The next steps are to figure out whether this is something we want to use as the base for an anti-phishing feature in Firefox. Of course, whether it is enabled or even shipped is still a matter for discussion, as is the final form the extension might take, its UI, the way users opt-in, and the like.
You can read the discussion that lead up to to its integration in https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=329292
How to Enable
safebrowsing is enabled by default on the MOZILLA_1_8_BRANCH and trunk. You can enable/disable it in the Options dialog in the Security tab.
If you wish to see debugging output, open toolkit/components/url-classifier/src/nsUrlClassifierLib.js and set G_GDEBUG to true.
Design Doc
Phishing Protection: Design Documentation
Server Spec
Phishing Protection: Server Spec
Client Spec
Phishing Protection: Client Spec
Source Code
For integration with firefox, the code from the extension is broken into two parts: http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/components/safebrowsing/ http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/toolkit/components/url-classifier/
The browser component contains the Phishing Warden, Controller, Browser View and Displayer described on the Phishing_Protection:_Design_Documentation#Major_Abstractions page. The toolkit component contains the ListManager and TRTables.
Major Open Issues
- How (if at all) does the extension get enabled? What language to use to inform users of the privacy implications? How do they opt?
- Content: is the branding OK? Is the language? Do we want to tweak the warning?
- UI: Where's the most appropriate place for (1) the preferences (2) the test page and (3) the report-a-phishing-link functionality?
- Ability to switch to other providers (need UI for it, need a bit of refactoring, etc.)
- Can we make agreements with service providers (e.g., Google) that will increase the privacy guarantees for data collected? Can we provide service ourself (see Reporter: Phishing Protection Integration Discussion)?
- Break into separate service and UI pieces?
TODO: expand, file bugs
Important Bugs
- Localization (e.g., do we turn it on in all locales? does the warning reder right with RTL languages? etc): https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=329724
- Make file I/O in non-enhanced mode better: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=329723
- Play nicely with other people who change the status bar: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=329722
- Fixed position XUL is apparently not officially supported... is there an alternative? https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=329725
Other Bugs or Potential Improvements
Are filed as bugs under Firefox / Safe Browsing
Contacts
All the following are at g o o g l e d o t c o m
primary: niels, tc, fritz
secondary: sullivan, brakowski (product manager)