Yeah, I already disabled it. I'm not surprised.

Fucking Microsoft.

WTF. I just looked this up in my plugins and disabled it. Don't put shit on my computer without my permission micro-dicks.

as if .NET was f*cked up enough, now this

but the critical update release last tuesday (KB974417) will fix the problem? i don't have .net FW 3.5 installed and auto update is off, so i'm safe? don't see any MS WPF in my plug-ins list. guess the cyberwar already started and i'm just collateral damage. if you're not with me, then you're against me!

I disabled this on my XP computer as soon as I read this.

How i crave the old BBS days.... ascii this and ascii that!

Stupid M$, stay off my computer!

What's the purpose of this plugin?

Surely it must do something. Please write that in Toms.

I really dislike the quality of Tom's Guide's articles.

WHAT IS THE PLUG-IN SUPPOSED TO DO?

This plug-in allows Silverlight to be run I believe.

... Pff. Couldn't care less. Sucks for people that go to malicious websites, the most malicious site I visit is a crappy article on Tom's.

How do I check plug-ins, so I can disable this right now?

YOU BASTARDS! GET OUT OF MY COMPUTER!!!!!!!!!

...oh wait, I'm using Fedora. Phwew!

If only my pc games could run off of linux.

On a side note, if you think this plug-in poses a danger, think again! Javascript poses a greater danger than this yet all browsers come with JS enabled by default. Clearly, this article or Kevin is being biased.
I can at anytime write a JS code that makes you download malicious software unintentionally when you visit my site. The same goes for this plug-in. SO what's the big deal here? Just don't visit untrusted/untested sites!

Firefox is already disabling the plug-ins automatically. Nice.

M$ dishes out another e corporate cock shafting.
Nice work boys. As if the general public dont already mistrust you.

At least Apple dont piss in my pocket and tell me its raining.

Yes yes, F microsoft for doing this. True. However it's open that anyone can just drop a file into Firefox and call it a plugin. I'm not saying I blame Mozilla Firefox, but this is a perfect example of why Firefox should take more control over what is allowed to be added and there should ALWAYS be a way to Disable or Uninstall.

If you go get an addon from Firefox's repository, you get a dialog confirming you want to install it. The same should be true for something that tries to be added outside of that process. If I download Uncle Johns Widget plugin and don't have Firefox running, but it tries to alter Firefox to slip itself in... next time I start Firefox I should be asked if I want to allow it. And if I say yes, there must always be a Disable and Uninstall options. Always.

and the solution.... L I N U X

Hey you, Linux guy, update-manager hosed my computer twice already (mount-all bug)

karmic koala user

To say this plugin was secretly installed is not quite true. I've had .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 installed since it came out a couple years ago. I already knew about the Firefox plugin because it asked me if I wanted to install it. There's an optional .NET Framework 2.0 Netscape/Mozilla plugin also. However, I always download and install .NET Framework manually, so maybe they've recently become sneakier with the automatic updates.

As for not being able to remove it, keep in mind that you can't remove ANY plugins from within Firefox's add-ons menu. You must either uninstall the application that installed the plugin, or you can delete the plugin file from the plugins folder (or wherever the plugin was installed.)

Ahhh I love linux more and more as the days go by. Peace, love, linux.

Article says> Firefox users can't simply remove the plug-in: the "Disable" and "Uninstall" buttons are grayed out on all versions of Windows save for Windows 7.
But not true, runnning XP and firefox, my disable button was not Grayed out
so I just disabled it.

What's the noise? It's just bu$ine$$ as u$ual at microsuxx...
m$ fankiddies should be hardened by now, their almighty god is always right.

woah woah when did steve jobs take over microsoft and give balmer a handjob to fuck with the customers using firefox. He doesnt have enough fun messing with stuck up college students and the technologically ignorant!?!?? well whatever i use google chrome.

Just another reason I hate microsoft. IE is a terrible browser to begin with. Microsoft is always putting crap in "updates that steals your imformation ands undisirable software and so on this is nothing new and been happing since day one with them. So why is it that everybody acts suprised? I can't stand Microsoft and Firefox non operate as they state. Tabbed browsing is a joke to them. I use Avant browser. Best security features in a browser yet. Google doesn't even have the features or come close to blocking up 75% of popups/advertisements. I test every browser i come across Faststone. maxthon,tor, google,firefox,green and so on. The best I found so far is http://www.avantbrowser.com/
Second would be opera then netscape.

Wahh, wahhhh, wahhh, wahhhhhh!

It's their Operting system and they can pretty much do what they like. You buy a licence to use the damn thing.

On another note, is this a story throwing a negative spin on things as I really CANNOT trust Toms article writers at this time due to the recent Apple posts which were absolute trash.

This addon crashed on me last night, and I don't even have auto updates on. Go figure.