ActiveX

[DaRuSsIaMaN]

Hello, I got a question about activex. I know that activex is a 'security hole' from this article I was reading on howstuffworks.com:
"Another security issue involves ActiveX controls. ActiveX is built into Internet Explorer and allows certain Web sites to automatically download scripts or execute small applications. While the absence of ActiveX in Firefox does mean that some sites will not be viewable, it also closes many security holes; in this case, Firefox chooses security over functionality."

But the thing is, I kinda wanna watch music videos on the aol music site. But they tell me that "We're sorry, this feature requires the Mozilla ActiveX Plugin." So, is this ActiveX plugin they offer to install going to make my firefox vulnerable to every malicious activex thing out there (so, just as vulnerable as I.E.)? Or is this plugin somehow, err, narrow or specific? Like, could this plugin be only for watching those streamed videos and not for anything else, whatever other things activex can be used for?

(As u can tell, I don't know much about ActiveX hehe; that quote is basically all I've gleaned so far about what it is or does.)

 

[pelvis_3]

ActiveX can be useful or it can be dangerous depending on how it is deployed.
I don't know much about the ActiveX plugin, but if you use IE, you have the option to check the ActiveX control for digital signatures, so if it isn't digitally signed, it won't install. As long as you don't use IE for everything, you'll be safe watching AOL video.

 

[beretta9m2f]

As long as you don't use IE for everything, you'll be safe watching AOL video.

Don't use IE for ANYTHING! unless you love sypware and adware and you're good at removing them.

 

[DaRuSsIaMaN]

I'm not talking about using IE though. I'm wondering if it'll be stupid or not to install that ActiveX plugin for Firefox. Sorry, I kinda didn't emphasize that i'm using firefox in my post so u mighta read right over it. But yeah, the videos work fine in IE; I just want to know if it's worthwhile to install the activex plugin to make it work in firefox as well.

In other words, will that one plugin make my firefox just as vulnerable as IE is to ALL activex malicious stuff? Or is it possible that the plugin is only for streaming videos and won't expose firefox to all the other activex crap that malicious programs can do?

--

But eh, it's no biggie really. I'm just wondering. I don't have a problem launching IE, copying/pasting the address to watch the videos, then closing it immediately after I'm done heh. I'll just keep doing that if I don't figure this out.