Avast does this without collecting or storing a user’s identification.”
“It is necessary for this service to collect the URL history to deliver its expected functionality.
“The Avast Online Security extension is a security tool that protects users online, including from infected websites and phishing attacks,” an Avast spokesperson told ZDNet. Palant reported about it again to Mozilla developers yesterday and they removed all four add-ons within 24 hours. On his original blog post Mozilla did not intervene to take down the extensions. He published a blog post on October 28, detailing his findings, but in a blog post dated today, he says he found the same behavior in the Avast and AVG SafePrice extensions as well. Palant analyzed the Avast Online Security and AVG Online Security extensions in late October and found that the two were collecting much more data than they needed to work - including detailed user browsing history, a practice prohibited by both Mozilla and Google. Mozilla removed the four extensions from its add-ons portal after receiving a report from Palant. Avast and AVG extensions were caught in October The first two are extensions that show warnings when navigating to known malicious or suspicious sites, while the last two are extensions for online shoppers, showing price comparisons, deals, and available coupons. The four extensions are Avast Online Security, AVG Online Security, Avast SafePrice, and AVG SafePrice.
Palant also found credible reports about the extensions harvesting user data and browsing histories. Yesterday Wladimir Palant, the creator of AdBlock Plus, reported that Mozilla removed four Firefox extensions made by Avast and its subsidiary AVG.
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