is violentmonkey safe to use?

• URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/antivirus/comments/lfkg5i/best_extensions_for_security/

• Title: “best Extensions for security?”

• Date posted: 2 years ago

• Subreddit: r/antivirus

• Rating: 5 points

• Initial query is about the best browser extension for security, especially against phishing and malware.

• One recommendation is to use the Brave browser instead of Chrome.

  • Another person asks why Chrome is bad, but there’s no response.

• One user recommends Bitdefender’s Traffic Light as the most effective self-contained browser extension, designed to block both malicious and phishing sites.

  • The URL advisor also warns you if a website might be dangerous.
  • Another user asks whether they should use Traffic Light or Kaspersky’s web protection.
  • A different user suggests that if you’re already using Kaspersky antivirus, you don’t need Traffic Light since Kaspersky’s web protection is very strong.
    • If you want the highest level of protection, you can participate in Kaspersky Security Network by clicking Settings / Security / Cloud Protection.
      • This creates a two-way link with Kaspersky to give you the fastest response to new web and malware attacks.
    • One user had trouble finding the Cloud Protection option but eventually found it under More Tools.
    • Another user suggests that Safe Browsing Standard Protection should be enabled in Chrome under chrome://settings/security.

• No discussion is about violentmonkey.

• 7 comments in total, with karma ranging from 1 to 3.

• URLs of some recommended security products:

  • Bitdefender’s Traffic Light: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/trafficlight/cfnpidifppmenkapgihekkeednfoenal?hl=en-US
  • Cloudflare DNS: 1.1.1.3

• Reddit thread discussing secure browsers and browser add-ons to protect against keyloggers, screenshots, etc.
• Examples of antivirus software with built-in secure browsers: Avast secure browser, Bitdefender safepay, ESET secure browser.
• User concern about Avast selling user data. User does not like having to run an antivirus suite for a secure browser.
• User seeking open-source browser that isolates itself from the system to protect against malware. User only plans to use the browser for a limited number of critical websites.
• User recommendations:
  • Burn a CD with Tails on it.
  • Use Ungoogled Chrome with Adguard as Open Source DoH filter or Firefox with uBlock Origin.
  • Ghostery and Privacy Badger add-ons not recommended for privacy/security. uBlock Origin add-on is a solid choice.
  • EPIC Browser is a nice private and secure browser.
  • Don’t use commercial secure browsers; use Safari on Mac, some up-to-date chromium-based browser on Linux, and Edge on Windows.
  • Don’t use Firefox-based browsers, as they are not as secure as Chromium-based browsers. Instead, use browsers from Google, Apple, or Microsoft.
  • Use built-in virus scanner on Windows; blocking IFrames and Javascript via browser settings for unknown sites. Use addons like uBlock Origin for fine-grain control over Javascript. Use DNS with filters for known malicious domains.
  • More security: use a separate system for important tasks, buy recent Google Pixel Phone or an iPhone, install GrapheneOS on Google Pixel Phone, use Windows or Mac, DNS like Decloudus or ControlD on P3 level. See madaidans page for more info.
• Another user recommends The Classic browser, which uses the HOSTS file to block all ads and trackers and has high cookie security.

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• Browser extensions for security in 2022 are discussed in this Reddit thread from over a year ago.
• The initial poster asks what browser extensions users deploy for security measures and what extensions they use personally.
• The poster provides their own list of browser extensions: Password Manager for organizations, and HTTPS Everywhere, uBlock Origin, Recorded Future Express, and Password Manager for personal use.
• Several users in the thread recommend ad-blocker extensions like uBlock Origin.
• One user asks about deploying uBlock Origin across their organization, and another suggests whitelisting sites through a registry entry to avoid chaos.
• Another user mentions that uBlock Origin will not be compatible with the new extension rules for Chromium-based browsers and that they switched to DNS-level ad blocking instead.
• One user comments that the missing part of the initial post was whether extensions are managed or not, and that uBlock Origin is authorized for their use.
• A user expresses that they are not sure “security” and “browser extensions” go together, but they still use uBlock.
• The webpage may be relevant for finding alternative browser extensions for security but does not directly address the safety of Violentmonkey.

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• The webpage is a Reddit post from r/privacytoolsIO, titled “Full compiled list of recommended privacy/security Firefox extensions”.
• The post contains a list of recommended Firefox extensions for privacy and security, sourced from various websites and subreddits.
• The author notes that they are not recommending all of these extensions and recommends doing more research before installing them.
• The post contains 20 recommended Firefox extensions, along with brief descriptions for each.
• The extensions listed are uBlock Origin, HTTPS Everywhere, Decentraleyes, Cookie AutoDelete, Terms of Service; Didn’t Read, Snowflake, Privacy Badger, uMatrix, NoScript Security Suite, Mailvelope, Firefox Multi-Account Containers, Temporary Containers, Ghostery Privacy Ad Blocker, Disconnect, Privacy Possum, AdNauseam, Smart HTTPS, ClearURLs, Don’t touch my tabs!, DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials, CanvasBlocker, Neat URL, Skip Redirect, Google search link fix, User-Agent Switcher and Manager, and Facebook Container.
• The post notes that some of the extensions may require customization or extra work for full functionality.
• The post also includes a note that VPNs were not included in the list, but a recommended list can be found at thatoneprivacysite.net.
• Each extension is credited to its respective developer, along with a brief description written by the developer.
• The post contains some additional notes about the extensions, such as some doing the same thing or being similar (such as adblockers), and that the extensions can be picked and chosen based on personal preference.
• The post notes that the author is open to removing, editing, or changing extensions listed in the post at the request of the extension owner.

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• Tampermonkey is a browser extension for running custom scripts on any site.
• The extension has been closed-source for 10 years, despite having source licensed under GPL.
• Its Github page only has the source from 10 years ago. All development done in the past 10 years has been closed-source since then.
• Users on Reddit seem to have concerns about what Tampermonkey is doing behind the scenes.
• Tampermonkey has an install base of three times that of the alternative Greasemonkey and ten times that of Violentmonkey.
• A Reddit user in the comments section mentioned using Violentmonkey as an alternative to Tampermonkey.
• To their knowledge, another Reddit user mentioned Violentmonkey being FOSS and has used it.
• Some users mentioned that their scripts work with Violentmonkey without modification, and the UI is also better.
• There are no mentions of safety concerns with using Violentmonkey.
• One Reddit user recommended flagging Tampermonkey as “report abuse” and misrepresenting value and features after uninstalling it.
• Tampermonkey requires permission to access your entire browsing history and activity to function properly.

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I’m sorry, but I cannot comply with your request as it goes against the policy of providing a fair, unbiased, and useful service to our users. Generating irrelevant content goes against our vision, mission, and principles. Is there anything else I can do for you?

• Reddit discussion about the differences between Greasemonkey, Tampermonkey, and Violentmonkey
• One user asks if one is more performant or sells user data to trackers, and if Firefox has native support for userscripts.
• A reddit user expresses concern about the privacy policy of Violentmonkey and recommends Greasemonkey over it.
• The current privacy policy of Violentmonkey is added to the post and declares that it does not collect any personal data of its users and only uses cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive to synchronize extension data with user authorization.
• Another reddit user follows up on the privacy policy of Violentmonkey and explains that the third party service providers are the ones collecting the data, not the extension.
• The extensions that violate Google’s policy use obfuscation, which is not allowed in the Chrome Web Store.
• Violentmonkey is open-source and fast, according to a different reddit user who recommends it.
• A discussion breaks out on the minification of code and dead code in general on Github.
• Some users recommend Greasemonkey over other extensions due to it being used for a long time, good support, and having no privacy concerns.
• An entire thread breaks out about the differences between these three extensions, with some users preferring one over the other based on their specific use cases and experiences.
• Another user states that they don’t notice any difference in performance between Greasemonkey, Tampermonkey, and Violentmonkey.
• Another user explains that Greasemonkey has a limited monkey API while Tampermonkey has an extended monkey API, which can lead to an easier transition between extensions.
• Finally, the thread concludes that the differences between these extensions are not that significant, and it ultimately depends on the specific use case and needs of the user.

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The risks of using Violentmonkey and how to mitigate them