Re: Getting round website authentication with Firefox

[Nate Smith <nate () thebackrow net>]

On Sun, Jul 24, 2005 at 11:52:11PM -0000, account.throw () gmail com wrote:
> Using firefox's "save target as" feature, you can get round web authentication.
>
> Make a password protected directory (with a video file inside) (using .htaccess and htpasswd), check that it actully 
> requires a login when you click the link to the video normally, then create a hyperlink to the file, right click save 
> as - oh snap, it doesn't ask for authentication.
>
> I've only tested it with a video file and Firefox 1.0.6.

If this got around authenticating, it would be the fault of the server,
not the browser.  The browser is only sending a 'request' for a
document.  If firefox fails to ask for credentials in any authentication
scheme, it is the fault of firefox, and should be reported to their bug
tracking system.  Check their support forums first to see if it's known:

http://forums.mozillazine.org/

I tried it with firefox 1.0.6 and it didn't ask for credentials, but it
didn't give me the FILE, either :)  If it has cached your authentication
response from a previous request, then yes, it will let you have the
file.  But that won't work for someone who genuinely doesn't know the
username/password.

-Nate