Can you get a drive by download using the latest version of Chrome?

bigg123 · 13 Dec 2010

Kari · 13 Dec 2010

It might be because today is Monday and I hate Mondays, but I have absolutely not a faintest clue what you are asking? Get a drive?

Could you please tell more?

Kari

Airbot · 13 Dec 2010

Asking if you could get a drive-by download, as in malware using the latest version of chrome.

There's always holes that are breached all the time. It's the way it is. Just because it's the latest version really doesn't mean not a one lucky or unknown DBD isn't going to be able to breach it. So yes, you could.

Just use an Antivirus program that has realtime protection for the web, and keep UAC on, keep up to date with the browser and plugins and be cautious in your browsing.

Kari · 13 Dec 2010

How did I miss that...

swarfega · 13 Dec 2010

short answer is yes, you can in any browser. No browser is immune.

mickey megabyte · 13 Dec 2010

i can see how chrome may download stuff without you clicking it - but will chrome then auto-run the download?

downloading and executing aren't the same things. you can download a thousand nasty programs, but they won't harm you unless you actually run them.

stay away from the sort of sites which may harbour such downloads to be extra safe!

bigg123 · 13 Dec 2010

mickey megabyte said:

i can see how chrome may download stuff without you clicking it - but will chrome then auto-run the download?

downloading and executing aren't the same things. you can download a thousand nasty programs, but they won't harm you unless you actually run them.

stay away from the sort of sites which may harbour such downloads to be extra safe!

Can you get a drive by download auto-execution by just browsing to a malicious web site?

roncerr · 14 Dec 2010

bigg123 said:

...Can you get a drive by download auto-execution by just browsing to a malicious web site?

I think it depends on your browser, how it is set up, how Windows is set up, whether Windows Update is updated as to security updates, whether you have real-time protection set up with your security program, and how good and up-to-date it is.

To limit the discussion to browsers, for example, scripting is usually left on because nearly all websites use it. And scripting can be taken advantage of by a malicious web site.

At the very least you should run an antivirus program like MSE and also have Malewarebytes available. I recently encountered a drive by of "HDD Rescue" which MSE did not stop or warn about and did not even recognize as a problem after it installed itself. But a scan with Malewarebytes (in safe mode) found 29 bad files and registry entries which it removed and fixed the problem.