Web Browser Leaves No FootPrint!

General Topics
1

The latest entrant to the crowded Internet browser market is the appropriately named Browzar, a tool specifically designed to protect users’ privacy by not retaining details of the Web sites they’ve searched. Most Web browsers like Microsoft Corp.‘s Internet Explorer automatically save users’ searches in Internet caches and histories. Users do have the option of deleting the history folder and emptying the Internet cache, but many people either don’t know how to do that or tend not to, leaving a trail of where they’ve been online behind them in the browser.

Browzar is being officially launched Thursday but can already be run or downloaded from its Web site. Users don’t have to register to use the free browser. Browzar automatically deletes Internet caches, histories, cookies and auto-complete forms. Auto-complete is the feature that anticipates the search term or Web address a user might enter by relying on information previously entered into the browser.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/08/30/HNwebfootprints_1.html

http://www.browzar.com/download/index.html
264 KB (Freeware, Silver or Black Theme)

2

What search engin is this browser using?
Since it’s only function seems to be to do a search and then click on the resulting links,
that’s pretty important.

3

Hi bob3160,

That was not so difficult to do, the start page of this IE shell Mozilla app browser, version 4.0, has the same security as your IE browser, is ns.v-serve.co.uk or the URL for that address is 217.199.173.135, and if you analyze the search results page source, you see these results are turned up by ww6.overture.com, the Browzar privacy tool as it is called is hosted by Host Europe customer machines (domain name), at least that is in the United Kingdom.
So whenever you want to use it from a USB stick when your privacy is at stake (tracks on the host computer), use it with care and for known sites, there is no other in-browser security on board, and it is still in beta. Security Policy declaration is blank, User Agent is mozilla/4.0, this browser accepts charsets, encodings, languages, it tells if you have adobe installed, ActiveX and Flash are supported, but is also has the Verisign new Root CA aboard and enhanced cryptographic support. So basically when your IE is fully patched, and ready to be fired, Browzar can be an enjoyable apps, at least after I put to a crucial test. Let you know more, Bob,

friend polonus

PS There is a black and a silver Browzar.

I do not know overture’s privacy formula, I know that generic A9 does not keep any tracking records, and scroogle is also a good alternative to have a clean google search.

Have a nice day,

polonus

4

Hi bob3160 & drhayden1,

Browzar passed all the tests on a Win XP SP2, and as I told you Browzar is as safe as the fully patched IE. Tested by me against:

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/web-browser-color-management.html

http://www.bandtrax.com.au/browser_check.htm

http://www.nepforums.co.uk/therams/browser_check/browser_check.php

http://gemal.dk/browserspy/css.htmlhttp://gemal.dk/browserspy/document.html

http://gemal.dk/browserspy/jws.html

http://gemal.dk/browserspy/searchassist.html

So update Security Update for Windows XP KB 912919, lest you want to be protected against foo.vbs.
But I am really impressed.
During the session cookies were seen in URL cache explorer,
c.micrososft.com, forum.avast.com, m.webtrends.com, microsoft.com, overture.com, yahoo.com, bcheck.scanit.b (for the 40 tests), after browzar closed they were gone from the cache. history traces none.

That’s it,

polonus

5
Browzar passed all the tests on a Win XP SP2, and as I told you Browzar is as safe as the fully patched IE.
The big difference is that Browzar has absolutly no bells and whistles where as the fully patched IE (especially IE7) does.
6

Is Browzar Evil?
You leave no traces and they make lots of money…

7

I have tried this browser. Works alright for what it is. I wouldn’t want to use it all of the time though. It’s good for what it was designed for IMO. :slight_smile:

8

Interesting read indeed … Haven’t tried the browser myself but after reading that article it makes me wonder … What does our malware fighter(Polonus) think about all this?

9

Neal that’s the problem. What it does and is is a dedicated search engine designed to make lots of money for the folks that put it together.
You can’t really call it a browser unless you enjoy typing in your own URLs or using cut and paste.
The only hyper links that you can select are the ones that come up in the search engine which they control.

10

Hi neal63,

He is just reading your thoughts, contemplating…

It is just what it is, a privacy security shell for IE, that stops the tracks from landing on the host computer. Use this browser only and just for the times that you try to avoid that. You could go to this browser (well how lite can you go). I see it more as sort of an extension. What is appalling to me is what load Browzar is putting in the registry, have a good look there. I do know what footprints this browser leaves, but what does it “takes” home??
I try it later to-day with the TDI Monitor running under it, and I will have to severely hold its pulse with in a good extensive sniffing session.
Report to you later, Miha,

polonus

11

http://web3.0log.org/2006/09/01/new-secure-browser-browzar-is-fake-and-full-of-adware/

it’s funny there are always two sides of coin :slight_smile:

btw. so far there is no proof of spyware/adware … yet that browser fails to fullfill it’s claims seems to be alarming enough …

modified version of Maxthon or Avast … or FireFox/Mozilla (portable) can do same …’

12

Yes, Browzar also got a dishonourable mention in LockerGnome’s Windows Fanitics newsletter today.

13

That was the link I posted ;D ;D
Posted on: Today at 06:49:01 AMPosted by: bob3160
Insert Quote
Is Browzar Evil?

14

The e-mail man’s getting fired, I’m getting my LockerGnome late and I don’t read it right away ;D ;D

15

David,
It’s Saturday, you where up late last night (Saw your posts this AM) and you slept late.
It’s OK. :slight_smile:

16

Hi bob3160,

Read what Yahoo tells about Browzar. Read Mr. Null’s comments here:
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/2890

Browzar is not a browser, without IE Browzar cannot even run.
It can be compared to a sort of browser-condom, with which I mean that Browzar is a nefarious little IE shell. The only thing the browser encapsulating shell does, is remove tracks on your computer. Nothing more and nothing less, and for cookies only after the fact. Period.
It does not anything to prevent other preying eyes like your ISP, all tunneling and tracking Commercialism, your Govt. etc.

The adware site to it is, it is an inventive pay per click machine shell too for Yahoo’s ad-department, because the default search page is like that, and cannot be altered. But you can give in the URL you like, and if that is http://www.scroogle.org/ then Browzar is not earning much in the pay per click arena for its inventor
After analyzing it, it fits completely in the new Web 2.0 sort of hype presentations, a lot Yahoo about (Browzar-) nothing…

Read this here: http://www.hanselman.com/blog/

polonus

17

Well malware fighters and user of privacy browsers,

Browzar should alter its name. And this should be defenitely being fixed:

  1. Download it and visit a site you’ve never visited before using IE.
  2. Open up the INDEX.DAT file in your Temporary Internet Files directory (such as: C:\Documents and Settings(username)\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat) with Notepad.
  3. Do a search for the URL, and there it is.

Not what I call a “no tracks” web browser. Of course a little research into the Internet Explorer engine would have told them it wasn’t going to work. Until this is fixed Browzar is “Crapolar” to me,

polonus

18

Thanks for your investigation into this one Polonus. :slight_smile:

19
Until this is fixed Browzar is "Crapolar" to me,

polonus


I think that’s why Browzar received it’s dishonourable mention in LockerGnome’s Windows Fanitics newsletter today.

20

Earlier this week the big story was the launch of a new “safe” browser called Browzar, which InfoWorld called “the latest entrant to the crowded Internet browser market”.

Browzar promises to make web surfing more anonymous by disabling cookies, history, auto-complete, etc. The story was widely circulated, including writeups on BBC, CNET, Slashdot and Digg, among others. We even wrote about in on TechCrunch UK.

There were initial doubts raised that this was simply a stripped down version of IE with the offending functionaltiy turned off, and therefore nothing special. But none of the publications above did enough research into the product to realize that not only is Browzar not really an interesting product from a security point of view, but that the “browser” is going to great lengths to force users to click on Overture ads by constantly redirecting them to search ad pages served by Browzar itself.

Today Web3.0log went to that additional effort to actually test the product, and wrote a post called “New Secure Browser Browzar is Fake and Full of Adware” where they proceeded to rip the product apart on a feature by feature basis.

Contrary to earlier coverage, Browzar appears to be nothing but a simple shell to IE which forces Overture ads on its own users. The creators didn’t write a cache or history function, calling this a feature, and users are unable to change the search function or home page to anything other than Browzar ad results. Furthermore, some users are complaining that URL auto-complete is not working properly and also redirects to the Browzar home page, with ads, when it shouldn’t.

Wev2.0log concludes by saying “There was time when badware developers tried to install ad pages as homepage or searchpage in user’s IE by any possible means. Nowadays users install adware voluntarily and write news about it. True web2.0 style!”

Make your own decision on Browzar if you like, just make sure you know what it is you are downloading before you pull the trigger.

http://web3.0log.org/2006/09/01/new-secure-browser-browzar-is-fake-and-full-of-adware/