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FIrefox is the most insecure browser?

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tclfan:
Considering the above, and assuming data is accurate to some degree:
Chrome appears to have almost 4% market,while vulnerability is possibly negligible (possibly, since it is not even mentioned in vulnerability share...).
Would this be a good conclusion that Chrome is the safest at this point, even safer than Opera?
I am not sure if Chrome is available for Linux yet, but if it is by now, any chance for Chrome extension as well as Opera 10.10 extension?

bmarkus:


--- Quote ---Google Chrome for Linux is in development* and a team of engineers is working hard to bring it to you as soon as possible.
--- End quote ---

trishtren18:
chrome is available, or chromium if you will.
http://www.ghacks.net/2009/04/19/google-browser-google-chrome-and-chromium-download/
I personally know thier is a working copy for ubuntu that you could look at though i cant seem to find the link anymore but i have the package on my external drive.

lucky13:

--- Quote from: tclfan on November 16, 2009, 10:56:51 AM ---Considering the above, and assuming data is accurate to some degree:
Chrome appears to have almost 4% market,while vulnerability is possibly negligible (possibly, since it is not even mentioned in vulnerability share...).

--- End quote ---

How do you get that? It's based on webkit so it presumably has at least some, if not all, of the same vulns from that. Additionally, it's been found to have vulns from things unique to itself. Then you add to that the vulns from plugins (Flash, etc.).

No browser is going to have "negligible" security issues because you're dealing with complex software coded by human beings and, perhaps most vital of all, used by human beings. The weakest security link is more often than not the user.

Security isn't a function of the number of users:number of advisories unless you're interested in "security through obscurity." But that's not really security, it's just obscurity.


--- Quote ---Would this be a good conclusion that Chrome is the safest at this point, even safer than Opera?

--- End quote ---
Absolutely not, unless you're paid by Google to make such claims. I don't know of anyone at Google actually saying such things, though.

Product specific avisories:
http://secunia.com/advisories/product/20760/?task=advisories
http://secunia.com/advisories/product/25469/?task=advisories
http://secunia.com/advisories/product/25720/?task=advisories

Note that there are unpatched vulns listed in the first two advisories (Chrome 1 and 2). What should matter more is how fast things are fixed and whether you keep your own system patched. Otherwise, you're pissing in the wind with any discussion of which is safer without even getting into safe/unsafe browsing habits and third-party plugins.

The real problem isn't one of branding, it's how browsers leverage multiple pieces into one whole. The whole sum is only as strong as each of its component parts, some of which (like Flash) are third-party code which comes with its own vulnerabilities. There's no "safe" or even "safer" browser and users shouldn't beguile themselves into thinking they're safer using one or another if their own habits aren't safe.

tclfan:
Thank you Lucky, for such elaborate assessment in response to my polling opinions on browser security.
Now, even assuming that each browser has vulnerabilities and there are no better or worse browsers out there from this perspective (please correct me if my broad interpretation of the above is not what you meant), the differentiator remains the market share... The smaller the market share the more secure the browser can be in practice. This is because developers of programs exploiting vulnerabilities of browsers are focusing on those which have the largest market share. At least in logical theory.  Therefore Opera is regarded as the most secure browser, not counting Chrome...
My question was that extrapolating our expectation, since Chrome has even smaller market share than Opera, is this a good expectation it should be in practice even safer? Are there some lab tests comparing them side by side?

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