3 ms·

Yeah but if I need to talk to a local device, I trust browser's security far more than a random vendor's native app. I recently bought a keyboard that allows re

• croes 2y ago
  So you don’t trust the vendor. Maybe using their hardware isn’t a good idea in the first place. I think browsers are the bigger target and they provide the much bigger attack vector given that the purpose is being connected to the internet. Using an internet tool to access local resources is using the wrong tool for the job.
  • lukan 2y ago
    "Using an internet tool to access local resources is using the wrong tool for the job." Browser technology stopped being internet tech only quite a while ago. It might not have been the best idea, but that's where we are. So my first choice would nowdays also be webusb if possible.
    • croes 2y ago
      > Browser technology stopped being internet tech only quite a while ago. That was already a bad idea. > It might not have been the best idea, but that's where we are. You aren’t forced to use it for local resources.
      • lukan 2y ago
        No I am not forced to use it, but since the web is my usual tech stack, I likely will just use that, if I ever have to connect to a USB device.
        • croes 2y ago
          If you write code ok, but what about third party apps. Supply chain attacks are quite common.
  • kccqzy 2y ago
    Maybe I'll believe you when desktop operating systems have a mature and easy-to-use sandbox for local apps. Any random local app by default having access to ~/.ssh/id_rsa no attack required is a much bigger threat for me to worry about than thinking a web app might attack my browser to steal data belonging to a different origin.
    • jimmaswell 2y ago
      Run it as another user or put it in a less privileged cgroup. Problem solved.
      • kccqzy 2y ago
        That's what I currently do but it's not easy to do at all. For one, there's no simple and built-in way to copy my desktop user settings to the new user. For two, when you switch to a new user, you can't simultaneously do things as the original user in the same desktop session.
    • croes 2y ago
      What about supply chain attacks? Do you know if your trusted web app fell for one?
      • kccqzy 2y ago
        That's irrelevant. Both local apps and web apps are subject to supply chain attacks. The difference is that a local app that has had a supply chain attack carried out can read my documents, my private keys, my photos, etc; a web app that has similarly malicious code cannot do any of that. The browser protects me because it has a sandbox. I also do not understand why you refer to "trusted web app" whereas in my comment above I have stated that I need a sandbox to run the code; I clearly don't trust it enough. The whole point is that the browser allows me to run untrusted code safely. And supply chain attack is one of the main reasons why I don't trust it enough.
        • croes 2y ago
• accelbred 2y ago
  Agreed. Therefore I use niether webUSB or vendor apps but rather use hardware that works with openocd and open source tooling.