What is smartwebfinders?

[DavidGretzschel]

In Google Chrome, I just got a popup, that looked roughly like this:
https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/262979/what-will-happen-if-i-accept-this-change-your-search-setting-to-smartwebfinder

Told me either to disable SurfingKeys or to "change my search settings to smartwebfinders".
I accepted, since I wanted to keep using SurfingKeys.
I looked into my Chrome settings, but my default engine was still listed as Google.
I have no clue, what this "searchsetting" even is. It does look a bit scammy, though.
What's up with that?
Also of note: I did not get this popup in Microsoft Edge.

EDIT: I just got the popup in Edge eventually, probably when the extension automatically updated a bit later. See below for screenshot.

[dankilman]

I'll add that the new version is 1.0.7 whereas the version in this repo is still 1.0.6 so I think someone took over the extension

[thergbway]

I decided to stop using Surfingkeys before author explanation

[DavidGretzschel]

Looks like it will be a ticking time bomb.

Here is my solution:

• Remove version 1.0.7, go to Crx4Chrome to find and download the extension file in version 1.0.6
• Unzip it , place the folder where you like and change the "update_url" in manifest.json to an non-existent URL, such as "https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx/error"
• Go to chrome://extensions/ and load the unpacked extension on the top left of the page

Done!🥳

Janky, but doable. Thanks for walking me thru it <3

[DavidGretzschel]

Now Edge is giving me the same warning. Here's what this looks like:

[brookhong]

Don't panic.

smartwebfinder basically is sponsored promotion of bing, but it should not force you to change your search engine. Please let me know if it does.

[DavidGretzschel]

So what does it do, exactly?
What is this "searchsettings"-thingadybob?
Those are the results I get, when I search for "smartwebfinder":
https://www.google.com/search?q=smartwebfinder&rlz=1C1GCEA_enDE981DE981&sxsrf=ALiCzsaW_wVKk4ryO6XAPYAxUJ0azKNzPg%3A1660846784594&ei=wIL-YqTbI8fP7_UP-42s6A8&ved=0ahUKEwiku_y0gNH5AhXH57sIHfsGC_0Q4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=smartwebfinder&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQA0oECEEYAEoECEYYAFAAWABgYGgAcAB4AIABAIgBAJIBAJgBAKABAcABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

I'd not call that a "ticking time bomb", but not something I'd want to think about either, if I cared moderately about security/privacy/my data etc.
Which personally I do not. (I have used Lenovo laptops before, lol)
But the general audience for this lovely extension probably does quite a bit.

[webavant]

smartwebfinder basically is sponsored promotion of bing, but it should not force you to change your search engine. Please let me know if it does.

Brook, smartwebfinders.com is not associated with Bing or Microsoft. I just checked a whois for the IPv4 address currently hosting it, which is a private 1and1 server. Either way, affecting the browser search is not listed as an intended feature of surfingkeys, and is thus deceptive and probably in violation of multiple corporate policies.

[DavidGretzschel]

smartwebfinder basically is sponsored promotion of bing, but it should not force you to change your search engine. Please let me know if it does.

Brook, smartwebfinders.com is not associated with Bing or Microsoft. I just checked a whois for the IPv4 address currently hosting it, which is a private 1and1 server. Either way, affecting the browser search is not listed as an intended feature of surfingkeys, and is thus deceptive and probably in violation of multiple corporate policies.

Hmm... interesting.
EDIT: Nvm

[isaiahtaylor]

I can't find any code that would cause this change. Can anyone find a commit?

If not, it means the extension getting uploaded to the store is not trustworthy.

[webavant]

the extension getting uploaded to the store is not trustworthy.

This is clearly the case. Higher up in the thread, the author, @brookhong, acknowledged that the extension is implementing something with smartwebfinders.com, which falls outside the listed intended feature set of the extension.

[isaiahtaylor]

git clone git@github.com:brookhong/Surfingkeys.git
cd Surfingkeys
grep -r "smartwebfinder" .
# no output
grep -r "smartweb" .
# no output
grep -r "webfinder" .
# no output

[webavant]

Hmm... interesting. Hey @brookhong, would you kindly tell me what is 3^(24x54) mod 17?

Perhaps whoever now controls this account isn't a programmer. Funny, yet sad.

Also who was our boss at IBM, when we worked on that stupid Java-server thing together? Forgot his name.

Even sadder, yet. I hope both of you are well and that good things come, even if it must be at the sad expense of my very favorite browser extension. :(