Hot Take [Updated 29/12/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

[Evjl's Rain]

Comparison between browser extensions

Test 29/12
Q&A - [Updated 29/12/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Test 24/11
Q&A - [Updated 24/11/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Test 12/11
Q&A - [Updated 12/11/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Test 7/11
Q&A - [Updated 7/11/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Test 6/9
Q&A - [Updated 3/9/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Test 3/9
Q&A - [Updated 3/9/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Test 2/9
Q&A - [Updated 25/7/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Test, quick 1/9
Q&A - [Updated 25/7/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Fun test 25/7/2018
Q&A - [Updated 24/7/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Updated 24/7/2018 (most comprehensive, as possible)
Q&A - [Updated 24/7/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Updated 19/7/2018
Q&A - [Updated 10/7/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Updated 18/7/2018
Q&A - [Updated 10/7/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Updated 10/7/2018
Q&A - [Updated 10/7/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Updated 7/6/2018
Q&A - [Updated 7/6/2018] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Updated 3/6/2018
Q&A - [Updated 3/6/18] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Updated 25/4/2018
Poll - [Updated 25/4/18] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings

Update: 23/3/2018
Poll - [Updated 23/3/18] Browser extension comparison: Malwares and Phishings


Browser: Google Chrome 65 x64
Malware and phishing links: 10 malc0de, 10 vxvault, 10 openphish, 10 verified phishtank, 10 unverified phishtank
Total: 50 links

Spoiler: Links

Dropbox - link test 17-3-2018.txt

Extensions: recently downloaded from Chrome Web Store
- Google Safe Browsing (built-in chrome's protection)
- AdGuard AdBlocker: default settings, uses Google Safe Browsing (delayed) and their own database
- Avira browser safety: default settings
- Norton Safe Web: default settings
- Bitdefender Trafficlight: default settings, it rarely blocks any malware links, just old ones
- Avast Online Security: default settings, only has phishing protection, expected to score 0 against malwares
- Netcraft Extension: default settings, only has phishing protection, expected to score 0 against malwares
- uBlock Origin with some additional filters

Spoiler: ublock origin filters

http://hosts-file.net/emd.txt
http://hosts-file.net/exp.txt
http://hosts-file.net/pup.txt
http://hosts-file.net/psh.txt
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/hosts
https://ransomwaretracker.abuse.ch/downloads/RW_DOMBL.txt
https://ransomwaretracker.abuse.ch/downloads/RW_IPBL.txt
https://ransomwaretracker.abuse.ch/downloads/RW_URLBL.txt

NOTE: the result can vary from day-to-day. Tomorrow with different links, the result can be very different. All are live links but they can be dead a few minutes after the test. No duplication

Results:

Winner: Google Safe Browsing

 

[oldschool]

[

Edge with Nano Adblocker @ Advanced Medium Mode Block 3rd party scripts & frames - NO adblocker detected @browserleaks.

FF with uBO @ Medium Mode Block 3rd party scripts & frames - YES Adblocker detected @ browserleaks.
Edge wins again!

I found that disabling AdBlock, Easy List & Easy Privacy lists in NA & uBO both Edge and FF = no adblocker detected in Default or Medium modes.
Default mode using: 1Hosts, StevenBlack & squidblacklist

 

[Stas]

Edge with Nano Adblocker @ Advanced Medium Mode Block 3rd party scripts & frames - NO adblocker detected @browserleaks.

FF with uBO @ Medium Mode Block 3rd party scripts & frames - YES Adblocker detected @ browserleaks.
Edge wins again!

It's Nano Adblocker wins over uBO not Edge, because Nano Adblocker has integrated Nano Defender.

 

[oldschool]

It's Nano Adblocker wins over uBO not Edge, because Nano Adblocker has integrated Nano Defender.

Oh, I guess I thought Nano Defender was for use with Nano Adblocker and uBO.

 

[Moonhorse]

Oh, I guess I thought Nano Defender was for use with Nano Adblocker and uBO.

If you take a look at edge extensions, you can only see nano adblocker there in microsoft store. So i think nano defender is only working for ubo / tunnelbear and for nano adblocker its integrated. Actually default UBO is enough for me, since defender just mostly breaks players i usually watch to wich makes me basically turn off whole adblocker on those sites

 

[Evjl's Rain]

I am surprised by Comodo Online Security's improvement in your latest test, I wonder what happened?

Hopefully Comodo will continue to improve it and add new features instead of abandoning it.

hello, I think comodo did so badly in my first test because it was the first release => it wasn't correctly functioning or there was something wrong with their cloud database so the extension could not lookup
now, they fixed it so it can work at full potential

Avira Browser Safety is good but its memory and CPU usage is out of control, I have seen it go over 600 MB before, they seriously need to fix that; and I hope that they will add the ability to report websites and issues from the extension itself.

I tried to report it to them, they said they would consider but it seems they have ignored it. I give up

I think that Ublock Origin's default lists and default available lists should probably be updated to remove the less effective lists and add more effective lists and enable a better selection of default lists, I wish that there was an option to report missed ads and websites to the creators of whichever lists you are using through the extension itself, and I hope that more developers will join in its development so that it can keep going if something happens to the developer; I also wish that some of the community lists creators would join their lists together and work together when it makes sense to do so.

I think it's very hard because the list is not maintained by the developer of ublock
the default lists he adds to ublock are the most well-known malware blocking ones but not many people have verified their effectiveness
recently, I found squidblacklist to be quite effective but in the past, no one knew about it

 

[Terry Ganzi]

I watch this thread an all the talk about Ublock, Nano "Adblocker" and many more,did any one stop to think especially when people start to compare "adblockers" malware and phishing protection that they main job is "adblocking" so when people give advice to reduce the amount of filter lists it can be categorize as diluting the potency of the "adblocker" because it's being measured in a field which is not it's main purpose or focus.

IF a person is going to reduce filters then they must be using UBlock in easy or medium mode or complain about ads getting past your adblocker simple.

 

[Terry Ganzi]

Let's not get it twisted for a second Evjl's Rain does a splendid job educating people on protection.
IT needs to get put out there that adblockers jod is they title Adblocking first and foremost.

 

[Terry Ganzi]

Now please tell me why will i reduce filters when nothing really in all test that i do get pass my filters & this is a
small example just to show, the proof is as i always say in the pudding.

 

[Moonhorse]

View attachment 192482View attachment 192483View attachment 192484View attachment 192485

Now please tell me why will i reduce filters when nothing really in all test that i do get pass my filters & this is a
small example just to show, the proof is as i always say in the pudding.

Only thing i can think off is just better browser performance, but computers nowadays.. they can hold it... so its up to extension will it crash/break something because of overload...wich i think it wont when talking about ublock/ nano

Anyways i think dns, antivirus signatures, browser itself will allways be up to date but lists hosted by someone else than company is likely to get outdated someday

Also i can run browser virtually, where it gets isolated from the rest of computer

but its just user dependent what you need

 

[Yellowing]

Anyways i think dns, antivirus signatures, browser itself will allways be up to date but lists hosted by someone else than company is likely to get outdated someday

So, get as many lists as possible, basically.

Also i can run browser virtually, where it gets isolated from the rest of computer

Doesn't safe you from ads.

 

[Moonhorse]

@Yellowing wont protect from ads/ trackers indeed

@Yellowing @Terry Ganzi , can you guys share lists youre using, using backup ? if its allowed to do here

 

[Yellowing]

I guess. I'm getting confused by what has been said in which thread.

• Built-in (6/7)
  • uBlock filters6,915 used out of 6,915
  • uBlock filters – Annoyances199 used out of 199
  • uBlock filters – Badware risks14 used out of 14
  • uBlock filters – Experimental6 used out of 6
  • uBlock filters – Privacy97 used out of 97
  • uBlock filters – Resource abuse259 used out of 261
• Ads (4/4)
  • Adblock Warning Removal List446 used out of 457
  • Adguard Base Filters17,508 used out of 18,502
  • Adguard Mobile Filters2,015 used out of 2,508
  • EasyList82,792 used out of 83,346
• Privacy (3/3)
  • Adguard Spyware Filters2,657 used out of 6,511
  • EasyPrivacy14,085 used out of 15,262
  • Fanboy’s Enhanced Tracking List2,371 used out of 2,412
• Malware domains (4/4)
  • Malvertising filter list by Disconnect387 used out of 3,589
  • Malware Domain List1,115 used out of 1,131
  • Malware domains24,645 used out of 24,662
  • Spam4046,534 used out of 6,534
• Annoyances (5/5)
  • Adguard’s Annoyance List11,806 used out of 13,779
  • Fanboy’s Annoyance List10,350 used out of 41,125
  • Fanboy’s Anti-Thirdparty Social (see warning inside list)68 used out of 68
  • Fanboy’s Cookiemonster List10,531 used out of 10,533
  • Fanboy’s Social Blocking List20,189 used out of 20,216
• Multipurpose (4/4)
  • Dan Pollock’s hosts file9,948 used out of 13,537
  • hpHosts’ Ad and tracking servers41,678 used out of 45,745
  • MVPS HOSTS12,113 used out of 12,616
  • Peter Lowe’s Ad and tracking server list2,619 used out of 2,623
• Regions, languages (1/36)
  • DEU: EasyList Germany9,369 used out of 9,434
• Custom (21/21)
  • https://ransomwaretracker.abuse.ch/downloads/RW_DOMBL.txt1,825 used out of 1,899
  • http://1hosts.cf/24,630 used out of 47,035
  • https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroDot1/CoinBlockerLists/master/list_optional.txt260 used out of 296
  • https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroDot1/CoinBlockerLists/master/list.txt4,018 used out of 5,837
  • https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/hosts29,617 used out of 60,853
  • https://hosts-file.net/emd.txt169,074 used out of 172,355
  • https://hosts-file.net/exp.txt1,150 used out of 1,156
  • https://hosts-file.net/fsa.txt172,241 used out of 173,035
  • https://hosts-file.net/hjk.txt212 used out of 218
  • https://hosts-file.net/pup.txt21,249 used out of 21,344
  • http://www.jabcreations.com/downloads/adblock-filters.php602 used out of 621
  • https://ransomwaretracker.abuse.ch/downloads/RW_IPBL.txt297 used out of 297
  • https://ransomwaretracker.abuse.ch/downloads/RW_URLBL.txt11,564 used out of 11,564
  • https://raw.githubusercontent.com/I...k-Filters-Plus/master/uBlock-Filters-Plus.txt0 used out of 0
  • https://www.squidblacklist.org/downloads/dg-malicious.acl33,408 used out of 99,387
  • Adversity4,657 used out of 8,139
  • Blockzilla839 used out of 1,519
  • Nano Defender Integration2,483 used out of 2,697
  • Nano filters72 used out of 99
  • Nano filters - Whitelist0 used out of 0
  • NoCoin Filter List109 used out of 432

I just copied it. Those arent Links. Except when they are. This is also confusing.

 

[Terry Ganzi]

@Yellowing wont protect from ads/ trackers indeed

@Yellowing @Terry Ganzi , can you guys share lists youre using, using backup ? if its allowed to do here

You needs may differ from mine so here is a good starting point: https://filterlists.com/

 

[Moonhorse]

@Yellowing you could backup your profile + upload the .txt file here if its allowed

Anyways the imported lists are the ones im looking for... i have used those ransomwaretrackers + hosts-file ones aswell, but terry said he had 975k filters so im wondering wich ones..

 

[Yellowing]

I did look into it and It seems like this line is enough if you only want the imported ones:

"externalLists": "http://1hosts.cf/\nhttp://www.jabcreations.com/downloads/adblock-filters.php\nhttps://cdn.rawgit.com/NanoAdblocker/NanoFilters/master/NanoFilters/NanoBase.txt\nhttps://cdn.rawgit.com/NanoAdblocker/NanoFilters/master/NanoFilters/NanoWhitelist.txt\nhttps://cdn.rawgit.com/NanoAdblocker/NanoFilters/master/NanoMirror/NanoDefender.txt\nhttps://hosts-file.net/emd.txt\nhttps://hosts-file.net/exp.txt\nhttps://hosts-file.net/fsa.txt\nhttps://hosts-file.net/hjk.txt\nhttps://hosts-file.net/pup.txt\nhttps://ransomwaretracker.abuse.ch/downloads/RW_DOMBL.txt\nhttps://ransomwaretracker.abuse.ch/downloads/RW_IPBL.txt\nhttps://ransomwaretracker.abuse.ch/downloads/RW_URLBL.txt\nhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/Hubird-au/Adversity/master/Adversity.txt\nhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/I...k-Filters-Plus/master/uBlock-Filters-Plus.txt\nhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/hosts\nhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroDot1/CoinBlockerLists/master/list.txt\nhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/ZeroDot1/CoinBlockerLists/master/list_optional.txt\nhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/hoshsadiq/adblock-nocoin-list/master/nocoin.txt\nhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/zpacman/Blockzilla/master/Blockzilla.txt\nhttps://www.squidblacklist.org/downloads/dg-malicious.acl",

 

[Moonhorse]

I let the dns + forticlient do all that filtering. So i pretty much only need adblocker for adblocking and im fine.

But from now i have been using privacy extensions and tweaked ublock/nano to meet my needs

Imo using client or built-in adblocker is better than relying on adblocker with custom filter lists

But yeah, not saying those filters are completely useless since theyre one way to block malicious websites

 

[oldschool]

Let's not get it twisted for a second Evjl's Rain does a splendid job educating people on protection.
IT needs to get put out there that adblockers jod is they title Adblocking first and foremost.

Adblocking - yes. Nano & uBO also function as a front-end firewall for me. But that's in Medium Mode. And with my set-up I never get ads or trackers in Easy Mode. I don't know when I last saw an ad.

 

[HarborFront]

@Evjl's Rain

Comparing

FilterLists | Subscriptions for uBlock Origin, Adblock Plus, AdGuard, ... for Adguard English filter

Adguard English filter (84678) = Adguard Base Filters (comes with uBO default) + EasyList (83394) according to below

Adguards English filter and Easylist filter, overlap?

and

Adguard Base Filters is 100639 from below

https://filters.adtidy.org/extension/chromium/filters/2.txt

Does this Adguard Base Filters include the EasyList filter?

If yes, then having just the latter Adguard Base Filters (100639) would be sufficient, right?

Thanks

 

[Evjl's Rain]

@Evjl's Rain

Comparing

FilterLists | Subscriptions for uBlock Origin, Adblock Plus, AdGuard, ... for Adguard English filter

Adguard English filter (84678) = Adguard Base Filters (comes with uBO default) + EasyList (83394) according to below

Adguards English filter and Easylist filter, overlap?

and

Adguard Base Filters is 100639 from below

https://filters.adtidy.org/extension/chromium/filters/2.txt

Does this Adguard Base Filters include the EasyList filter?

If yes, then having just the latter Adguard Base Filters (100639) would be sufficient, right?

Thanks

adguard includes easylist and their own rules. However, hey removed some easylist rules for some reasons and replace it with their rules

basically
english filter = easylist + 17k new filters - obsolete rules

so English filter alone is enough

 

[goodjohnjr]

hello, I think comodo did so badly in my first test because it was the first release => it wasn't correctly functioning or there was something wrong with their cloud database so the extension could not lookup
now, they fixed it so it can work at full potential


I tried to report it to them, they said they would consider but it seems they have ignored it. I give up


I think it's very hard because the list is not maintained by the developer of ublock
the default lists he adds to ublock are the most well-known malware blocking ones but not many people have verified their effectiveness
recently, I found squidblacklist to be quite effective but in the past, no one knew about it

*For some reason I have not been getting email alerts to new comments and replies to my comments on this thread even though I have all the alert options enabled in my settings, I did not realize that there were comments and replies here until I looked manually, I just reported it to see if this is a bug or something or is this normal.*

Hello Evjl's Rain,

That sounds like the likely scenario, if true then that is a pretty big mistake that they made there, but I am glad that it is fixed now; and I am curious to see how it performs in your future tests.

I actually saw your report to Avira, you are correct unfortunately, it is a shame that they have not fixed this yet because Avira would be my first choice at this time because it is pretty good at adblocking (thanks to Adguard, though I would prefer that they used Ublock Origin's code instead, and maybe partner with Adguard for their lists) and malicious website blocking which could allow you to have one extension instead of two; but I can not recommend using it until they fix that and maybe add an option to report issues from the extension itself.

Yeah, I know, but it would be nice if there was a way to have a report feature that would allow you to report issues directly to each list and even an option to report problems with the extension itself through the extension itself instead of having to go to Github et cetera; the developer could add Squidblacklist's (which I had never heard of until you mentioned it earlier in this thread, and so thank you) malicious website list as a default list and a few other somewhat proven lists that are missing, and remove a few lists that have somewhat proven to be less effective.

Thank you for replying,
-John Jr