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Decreasing the API surface is a good goal, that's a fair point. However, in practice, the API surface will remain the same: IE will not remove ActiveX, Firefox
by azakai 13y ago
Decreasing the API surface is a good goal, that's a fair point. However, in practice, the API surface will remain the same: IE will not remove ActiveX, Firefox (and a few other smaller browsers) will still have NPAPI, and Chrome has PPAPI. So this allows one use case to move to a smaller API, but that's pretty much it. A large API surface for proprietary blobs will remain.
Worse, things like iOS, Windows Phone, etc. have browsers that don't run plugins at all, but Apple and Microsoft may well add EME support there, which means an increase in their API surface that reaches proprietary blobs.
- takluyver 13y agoI don't think the plugin APIs like NPAPI are the relevant attack surface, because in most cases, they are only accessible with explicit user permission, i.e. by installing a plugin. We should be primarily concerned with what an untrusted page can do without user action beyond visiting it. In that sense, getting rid of Flash is a big win.
- azakai 13y agoIs this getting rid of Flash, though? Many sites will still use Flash, and EME will not work in all browsers, because EME DRM plugins will only ship in browsers that manage to strike deals with Netflix/Hollywood/etc. - in particular, not in open source browsers.