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Browsers have an absolute insane level of relatively unchecked permissions to do whatever they want on a client. There's a lot of effort by browser developers

Browsers have an absolute insane level of relatively unchecked permissions to do whatever they want on a client. There's a lot of effort by browser developers to scope creep the browser into essentially being an OS-agnostic tech stack (one where, conveniently, code can be shipped across the network "as necessary", removing a lot of user agency for the software being ran); Chrome being the biggest driver of this, while Firefox has an extremely weak spine in trying to limit it. It's fairly dire and I wouldn't be surprised if there's a lot more of these side channel attacks in a lot of web APIs.

noelwelsh 4mo ago
It's also the technology that will allow software to run without a continuous connection to the server. If you want to break out of a world where companies own your data it's the tech that is needed.
Tangurena2 4mo ago
Flash ended up getting blocked/banned by all browsers because it turned into a giant gaping security hole. > By January 2021, all major browsers were blocking all Flash content unconditionally. It looks like we-the-users need to be blocking any and every one of these parasites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Flash https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Flash
- Narishma 4mo ago
  I have a feeling they may have pushed for that more because it was controlled by a third party, and not the browser developers themselves.
rayiner 4mo ago
Now that we have AI, can we go back to real apps and native tech stacks? And revert the browser to a text-display interface?
- VMG 4mo ago
  Unfortunately, real apps and native tech stacks can not only write data to your SSD, they can usually write data to the user directory however they want and they can read it as well! Browsers are at least somewhat sandboxed
  - hollerith 4mo ago
    This is a Linux-centric take. It does not apply for example to iPadOS or to AluminiumOS (coming soon to a Googlebook near you). It applies less and less over time to MacOS. Yes, if one is committed to the standard Linux desktop, then one must hope that any proprietary apps one might need will continue to be available through the browser, but I'm ready to let the standard Linux desktop go (not right now, but eventually).
    - lxgr 4mo ago
      It very much applies to macOS, or do you know of a way to know what permissions a sideloaded macOS application will have before opening it that's accessible to regular users?
      - hollerith 4mo ago
        The very fact that you've qualified your question with "sideloaded" suggests that you are already aware that a non-sideloaded MacOS app is installed into a sandbox that is much more secure than anything available on a standard Linux desktop excepting possibly Qubes and Secureblue, and hardly anyone uses Qubes or Secureblue -- probably for very good reasons.
        lxgr 4mo ago
        Yes, and I'm also aware that most macOS apps are still only available as a sideload, where sandboxing is optional and importantly not user visible before the app runs.
  - rayiner 4mo ago
veunes 4mo ago
The uncomfortable part is that each step is usually justified by a real use case

noelwelsh 4mo ago

It's also the technology that will allow software to run without a continuous connection to the server. If you want to break out of a world where companies own your data it's the tech that is needed.

Tangurena2 4mo ago

Flash ended up getting blocked/banned by all browsers because it turned into a giant gaping security hole. > By January 2021, all major browsers were blocking all Flash content unconditionally. It looks like we-the-users need to be blocking any and every one of these parasites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Flash https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Flash

Narishma 4mo ago
I have a feeling they may have pushed for that more because it was controlled by a third party, and not the browser developers themselves.

rayiner 4mo ago

Now that we have AI, can we go back to real apps and native tech stacks? And revert the browser to a text-display interface?

VMG 4mo ago
Unfortunately, real apps and native tech stacks can not only write data to your SSD, they can usually write data to the user directory however they want and they can read it as well! Browsers are at least somewhat sandboxed
- hollerith 4mo ago
  This is a Linux-centric take. It does not apply for example to iPadOS or to AluminiumOS (coming soon to a Googlebook near you). It applies less and less over time to MacOS. Yes, if one is committed to the standard Linux desktop, then one must hope that any proprietary apps one might need will continue to be available through the browser, but I'm ready to let the standard Linux desktop go (not right now, but eventually).
  - lxgr 4mo ago
    It very much applies to macOS, or do you know of a way to know what permissions a sideloaded macOS application will have before opening it that's accessible to regular users?
    - hollerith 4mo ago
      The very fact that you've qualified your question with "sideloaded" suggests that you are already aware that a non-sideloaded MacOS app is installed into a sandbox that is much more secure than anything available on a standard Linux desktop excepting possibly Qubes and Secureblue, and hardly anyone uses Qubes or Secureblue -- probably for very good reasons.
      - lxgr 4mo ago
        Yes, and I'm also aware that most macOS apps are still only available as a sideload, where sandboxing is optional and importantly not user visible before the app runs.
- rayiner 4mo ago

veunes 4mo ago

The uncomfortable part is that each step is usually justified by a real use case