It has come to my attention that MicroSoft windows update adds (silently) an Firefox addon called "Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant 1.0" which function is to enable software do silent install software on the machine. Somehow the addon was added to my FireFox portable, so not all users may have this. It's a bad thing that this addon enables software to be installed silently, but it becomes worse..
The Uninstall button is grayed out and users seem to go get help on http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=963707 for instructions to have it removed. (hmm I wonder if I can just delete some file from my portable folder)
I hope this was useful information.
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I'm working on it. I'm going to have the launcher disable it automatically. It also changes your useragent, so Firefox is advertising to websites that .NET apps can run in it.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I uninstalled all .net version from my PC to now have this possible security hole in Firefox. I had .NET installed because some applications as well as games need .NET. Good luck with trying to see if this could be disabled.
Just wondering how malicious is this supposed to be?
I haven't got it, but it seems like Microsoft's just trying to give Firefox a leg up somewhere. Silent installs and other sneakiness is never appreciated, but I don't often mind unless it's something that's going to cause problems. Like they can slip me updates for Windows and Microsoft apps, that's fine, but stuff like the Genuine Advantage notifier that does nothing but harass (and has been known to have false positives) and the Malicious Software Removal Tools (come on - I already have AVG) they can keep. They don't do anything for me. (And yes, my Windows can pass WGA, I did it the first time, all it does is thanks you for using genuine Microsoft software and I guess that's the end of it. Still don't need it.) (Now what the Malicious Software Removal Tool ought to do is replace Internet Explorer with Firefox...)
Delete the contents of this folder (but don't delete the folder):
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\Windows Presentation Foundation\DotNetAssistantExtension
I think the reason why it's there and you can't uninstall it is because there is a .NET extension/plugin on the HOST computer that Firefox sees and automatically accesses. The same thing happens with adobe, Bit torrent DNA, McAfee and Skype.
So Microsoft did not silently install anything (or at least I think so). Maybe you just used FF portable on a PC with .NET framework and it appeared in Firefox, if you know what I mean.
It isn't installed into Firefox Portable, it's installed into local Firefox (without asking you when you install .NET). But it does change your Firefox Portable profile and alter your useragent string.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!