abstract: Compartmentalizing access to content, be it websites accessed in a browser or documents and applications accessed outside the browser, is an established method for protecting information integrity [12, 19, 21, 60]. Compartmentalization solutions change the user experience, introduce performance overhead and provide varying degrees of security. Striking a balance between usability and security is not an easy task. If the usability aspects are neglected or sacrificed in favor of more security, the resulting solution would have a hard time being adopted by end-users. The usability is affected by factors including (1) the generality of the solution in supporting various applications, (2) the type of changes required, (3) the performance overhead introduced by the solution, and (4) how much the user experience is preserved. The security is affected by factors including (1) the attack surface of the compartmentalization mechanism, and (2) the security decisions offloaded to the user. This dissertation evaluates existing solutions based on the above factors and presents two novel compartmentalization solutions that are arguably more practical than their existing counterparts. The first solution, called FlexICon, is an attractive alternative in the design space of compartmentalization solutions on the desktop. FlexICon allows for the creation of a large number of containers with small memory footprint and low disk overhead. This is achieved by using lightweight virtualization based on Linux namespaces. FlexICon uses two mechanisms to reduce user mistakes: 1) a trusted file dialog for selecting files for opening and launching it in the appropriate containers, and 2) a secure URL redirection mechanism that detects the user’s intent and opens the URL in the proper container. FlexICon also provides a language to specify the access constraints that should be enforced by various containers. The second solution called Auto-FBI, deals with web-based attacks by creating multiple instances of the browser and providing mechanisms for switching between the browser instances. The prototype implementation for Firefox and Chrome uses system call interposition to control the browser’s network access. Auto-FBI can be ported to other platforms easily due to simple design and the ubiquity of system call interposition methods on all major desktop platforms. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Computer Science 2018

Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att anpassa ett existerande webbaserat administrativt system, så det fungerar med flera olika webbläsare. Fokus ligger på testningen av det befintliga systemet och de testmetoder som används för att få en så bra bild som möjligt på de ändringar som behöver göras. Efter att ha läst uppsatsen så ska läsaren kunna göra en uppskattning på hur lång tid de skulle kunna ta att göra ett liknande arbete. Uppdragsgivaren har kravet att webbapplikationen ska fungera med Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox och Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE). Uppsatsen tar upp de mjukvaruverktyg som är relevanta för examensarbetet och vilka tekniker som har använts för att att lösa de problem som har uppstått. Då webbapplikationen endast var skriven för MSIE från start, så har författarna utgått från funktionaliteten i MSIE när de implementerat tester. Resultatet från testerna kommer att ligga till grund för de anpassningar som görs i applikationen. Testerna kommer även att användas för att validera webbapplikationens funktionalitet efter att ändringar har gjorts. Då detta arbete även skall ge en indikation på tidsåtgång, såväl som arbetsbörda, har det varit viktigt att redovisa hur tiden har allokerats för de olika momenten. / The purpose of this report is to adapt an existing web-based administrative system, in order to make it function in a cross-browser environment. Our focus is on testing the current system, and describing the testing methods used to identify the differences in functionality between the web browsers. After reading this report, the reader should be able to estimate the amount of time needed to adapt similar projects. The requirement when adapting the system, is that it should function correctly in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE).The report covers relevant software tools and discusses techniques used to solve problems that arise during the evaluation and implementation. Since the application is written to function correctly with MSIE, this web browser is used as a reference when evaluating the application in the other web browsers. The evaluation is the basis when adapting the application, but it is also used to validate the changes made. Since this work should be viewed as an indication of both time requirement and workload, documenting the work is of key importance.

In this work we present the design and implementation of a platform for automated measurement of the use of JavaScript APIs in a web browser. This platform is based on OpenWPM, which is used to instrument the web browser. In our architecture, the browser is extended with a modified Web API Manager extension, which allows to capture calls to JavaScript methods and log information about these calls. The platform was used to perform measurements on a 10,000 websites. From the analysis of the data obtained by the measurement, we found that the most used APIs over measured websites are APIs specified in HTML and DOM standards, High Resolution Time API and Web Cryptography API. Within the APIs that were implemented in Mozilla Firefox after 2016, we identified the Intersection Observer API, Background Tasks API and Resize Observer API as the most frequently used.

This thesis is divided into three parts. The first part is focused on a description of the formulation of the extension for viewers Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari 5, Mozilla Firefox a Google Chrome, on summary of the facilities of development of the extension for these viewers and on structure of the extension factually for Google Chrome. The second part describes the installation of the extension for Chrome with method of the unpack extension and with method from the Internet shop Chrome. There is also described a detailed formulation of the extension for Chrome with examples of the code source, with possibility of the implementation and the commentary insert into websites. It further describes contribution of the extension and contribution of this thesis. The target of this thesis is to get acquainted with problems of the formulation of the extension of plugins for viewers Chrome or Firefox and to formulate an application, which it will be able to add the commentary to contents of the website.

WebAssembly als Kompilierungsziel bietet die Möglichkeit, nativen Code im Browser auszuführen. JavaScript ist seither nicht mehr die alleinige Programmiersprache im Web. Darüber hinaus wird WebAssembly zunehmend auch im Serverbereich eingesetzt. Diese Arbeit gibt einen Überblick über die Grundlagen und stellt den praktischen Nutzen der Technologie in der Webentwicklung dar. Dazu wurde eine Beispielanwendung entwickelt, die WebAssembly zur Bildverarbeitung einsetzt. Im Vergleich zu einer serverseitig umgesetzten Alternativanwendung wird das Potential von WebAssembly aufgezeigt. Die Ausführungsgeschwindigkeit wird zudem mit einer nativen Anwendung verglichen. Die durchgeführten Tests zeigen, dass der Einsatz von WebAssembly eine sinnvolle Alternative zur Bewältigung serverseitiger Aufgaben traditioneller Anwendungen darstellt. Bei der Verwendung von WebAssembly ergeben sich in den Untersuchungen signifikant schnellere Laufzeiten von bis zu 8-facher Geschwindigkeit. WebAssembly birgt ein enormes Zukunftspotenzial, die Internetlandschaft grundlegend zu transformieren und Entwicklern eine Vielzahl neuer Möglichkeiten zu eröffnen.:Abstract Abkürzungsverzeichnis 1. Einleitung 2. Geschichte 2.1. Vorgänger-Technologien 2.1.1. Plug-in Basierte Systeme 2.1.2. Browserintegrierte Systeme 2.2. Evolution von WebAssembly 3. Anwendungsbereiche 3.1. Im Browser-Kontext 3.2. Außerhalb des Browser-Kontexts 4. Konzeptionelle Hintergründe 4.1. Grundlagen von JavaScript 4.1.1. Merkmale und Prinzipien 4.1.2. Funktionsweise von JavaScript im Browser 4.2. Just-In-Time Kompilierung (JIT) 5. Grundlagen von WebAssembly 5.1. Funktionsweise 5.1.1. Erstellung der WebAssembly-Module in der Entwicklungsumgebung 5.1.2. Laden der WebAssembly-Module im Browser 5.1.3. Ausführung der WebAssembly-Module in der Zielumgebung 5.1.4. Geschwindigkeitsvergleich von WebAssembly und JavaScript im Browser 5.2. Vor- und Nachteile 5.3. Momentaner Entwicklungsstand 6. Konzeption einer Beispielanwendung 6.1. Anforderungen und Voraussetzungen 6.2. Entwicklungsvorgang 6.2.1. Beispielanwendung in WebAssembly 6.2.2. Vergleichsanwendung in Node.js 6.3. Durchführung der Messreihen 6.3.1. Voraussetzungen 6.3.2. Testumgebungen 6.3.3. Vorgehensweise 7. Ergebnisanalyse nach Einflussfaktoren 7.1. Implementierung 7.2. Umgebung 7.3. Hardware 8. Diskussion 8.1. Methodenkritik 8.2. Verbesserungsvorschläge 9. Zusammenfassung und Ausblick 9.1. Erkenntnisse und Fazit 9.2. Vorschläge für zukünftige Arbeiten 9.3. Ausblick in die Zukunft Literaturverzeichnis Selbstständigkeitserklärung Danksagung

The growth of web-based malware and phishing attacks has catalyzed significant advances in the research and use of interstitial warning pages and modals by a browser prior to loading the content of a suspect site. These warnings commonly use visual cues to attract users' attention, including specialized iconography, color, and an absence of buttons to communicate the importance of the scenario. While the efficacy of visual techniques has improved safety for sighted users, these techniques are unsuitable for blind and visually impaired users. This is likely not due to a lack of interest or technical capability by browser manufactures, where universal design is a core tenet of their engineering practices, but instead a reflection of the very real dearth of research literature to inform best practices, exacerbated by a deficit of clear methodologies for conducting studies with this population. Indeed, the challenges are manifold. In this paper, we present the results of our study analyzing the experiences of the visually impaired with browser security warnings, detail the development and advancement of the methodological best practices when conducting a study of this kind, and ultimately identify some initial approaches that could improve the security for this population.

No description available.

With the advent of high throughput sequencing technologies over the past decade there has been a surge in the amount of genomic data that needs to be analyzed and interpreted. Despite the availability of software frameworks such as the Genome Analysis Toolkit, data interpretation and analysis still requires human intervention and refinement. Genome browsers enable developers and users of sequence analysis tools to visualize, compare, and better interpret genomic data such as gene expression and functional annotations. We developed a next generation cross platform web-based genome browser, NextBrowse, for visualizing General Feature Format and Binary Alignment Map files. NextBrowse uses advanced visualization techniques such as 3D feature selection and transparency based on mapping quality, and improved Graphical User Interface elements such as individual track searching and textual and graphical reference location. NextBrowse is the first genome browser to allow BAM files to be streamed and visualized, the first genome browser to employ security measures, and the first to use only client side rendering. NextBrowse takes advantage of the open-source community, allowing developers and users to extend the project to fit their needs. NextBrowse along with all documentation is available for use at http://www.nextbrowse.vbi.vt.edu. / Master of Science

Most people cannot access the World Wide Web (WWW) and other Internet services because access requires a complex and expensive computer. Moreover, the bandwidth offered to the general public is mostly limited by today's analog modems through standard telephone lines. An inexpensive, easy-to-use Internet/WWW access service, able to handle bandwidth-intensive, multimedia-oriented WWW pages, is currently not available to the general public. Some concrete proposals, and even completed products, have been provided by the computer and communications industry. Nonetheless, these solutions are either still too expensive and complex or have limited bandwidth. One service that introduces a simple and inexpensive way to access the Internet, while providing high bandwidth, is the IVDS/WWW Browser. Controlled by a central WWW Browser Server, the WWW pages are displayed on a standard television set using an IVDS (Interactive Video and Data Service) Decoder Box, an inexpensive hardware device. The user can access the WWW using a remote control device. This thesis presents the networking requirements and solutions for the IVDS/WWW Browser Server and the IVDS Decoder Box. / Master of Science

The first browser war took place during the second half the 1990s, and Internet Explorer cameout as the winner over Netscape Navigator. Today a new browser war is being fought withmany competitors and the future is uncertain. The purpose of the thesis is to find out how theweb browser market has developed since the start of the previous conflict, and we ask ourselveshow it will continue to develop in the future. This is accomplished with, among otherthings, interviews, tests and already existing statistics. The thesis' conclusions shows that theweb browser market has developed in a positive way from several perspectives, both for theusers as well as for the web developers. The conclusions also show that the web browser market'sfuture looks stable and indicate a probability that the browser war will transition into anormal, healthy market situation with several competitors.The first browser war took place during the second half the 1990s, and Internet Explorer cameout as the winner over Netscape Navigator. Today a new browser war is being fought withmany competitors and the future is uncertain. The purpose of the thesis is to find out how theweb browser market has developed since the start of the previous conflict, and we ask ourselveshow it will continue to develop in the future. This is accomplished with, among otherthings, interviews, tests and already existing statistics. The thesis' conclusions shows that theweb browser market has developed in a positive way from several perspectives, both for theusers as well as for the web developers. The conclusions also show that the web browser market'sfuture looks stable and indicate a probability that the browser war will transition into anormal, healthy market situation with several competitors.