Avast! WebRep overrides Firefox cookie permissions

[navilor]

I try to take my security and privacy at least somewhat seriously when online and use a few addons to help with that. I have the followingaddons  currently installed.

Adblock Plus 2.2.1
BetterPrivacy 1.68
Cookie Exporter 1.5
Cookie Importer 1.1
Cookie Monster 1.1.0
Element Hiding Helper for Adblock Plus 1.2.3
NoScript 2.6.2
TinEye Reverse Image Search 1.1

In Firefox I have cookies disabled. Running Firefox with none of the above addons installed or not installed still allows Firefox to block cookies.

I frequently check my cookie permissions using CCleaner and the only cookies that appear are those that come in when I run Internet Explorer (which is rare). I add cookies to my "Cookies to keep" list in CCleaner as necessary. I also add cookies to Firefox on an as needed basis (for example avast.com so I can log in and post questions such as this).

Recently I installed the Avast! WebRep addon when I installed the free version of Avast!. When the addon is disabled in Firefox the cookie permissions behave as expected. When I have the addon enabled I receive cookies from all websites that I go to.

Disable the WebRep addon if it is installed. Steps to reproduce this issue:

1) I am running Windows 7 64bit SP1 with all patches installed.

2) Install the latest version of Firefox.

3) Configure Firefox to block all cookies. You can find how to perform that configuration here:
http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/block-websites-storing-site-preferences

4) Install CCleaner.

5) Run CCleaner to make sure all cookies are deleted.

6) Run Firefox. Go to any website that you do not have cookies stored for.

7) Close Firefox.

Run CCleaner. You should see no cookies to delete. Run CCleaner anyway.

9) Install the Avast WebRep addon (or enable it if it was disabled).

10) Start Firefox.

11) Go to the same website you went to or another one if you feel like it.

12) Close Firefox.

13) Run CCleaner. You will now see cookies for the domain that you went to. You should not see third party cookies. Clean out the cookies.

14) Disable WebRep and test again and see if any unwanted cookies reappear.

If you know what you are doing you can also revert Firefox back to it's original configuration by following the instructions in the following link:
http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/reset-firefox-easily-fix-most-problems

You may want to go into the following locations to back things up just in case something breaks for you:
C:\Users\yourusernamehere\Documents\Mozilla Backup
C:\Users\yourusernamehere\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox

Please advise what I need to configure in Firefox to keep Avast! WebRep from adding cookies. I can disable WebRep and my cookie issue goes away.

Thank you for your time and attention in this matter.

[Asyn]

When I have the addon enabled I receive cookies from all websites that I go to.

Just tested it, it doesn't happen here.

[navilor]

Just tested it, it doesn't happen here.

The website below is a local fast food place. Going there for example leaves a cookie on my system that CCleaner sees when WebRep is enabled. No cookie when it is disabled.
http://www.pick-quick.com/

[Asyn]

Just tested it, it doesn't happen here.

The website below is a local fast food place. Going there for example leaves a cookie on my system that CCleaner sees when WebRep is enabled. No cookie when it is disabled.

Retested with your site, still no cookies with WR enabled.

[DavidR]

When I have the addon enabled I receive cookies from all websites that I go to.

Just tested it, it doesn't happen here.

It isn't an issue here either, personally I think you have too many add-ons for cookies, especially when you say that you have cookies disabled.

Having cookies disabled can really impact on some sites and in all honesty aren't that much of an issue. I use cookie monster to handle my cookies and the default action is session cookies only and exceptions for trusted sites only. I have firefox disallow third party cookies - these really are the ones you may have slight privacy issues with - I also have firefox clear session cookies when the browser is closed. That for me is a more than adequate handling of cookies without becoming paranoid.

I too have visited the site and for me cookie monster is stating the site hasn't requested to set cookies (see image). I don't know if this has anything to d with my having the firefox option Not to Track me enabled.

[navilor]

It isn't an issue here either, personally I think you have too many add-ons for cookies, especially when you say that you have cookies disabled.

Having cookies disabled can really impact on some sites and in all honesty aren't that much of an issue. I use cookie monster to handle my cookies and the default action is session cookies only and exceptions for trusted sites only. I have firefox disallow third party cookies - these really are the ones you may have slight privacy issues with - I also have firefox clear session cookies when the browser is closed. That for me is a more than adequate handling of cookies without becoming paranoid.

I too have visited the site and for me cookie monster is stating the site hasn't requested to set cookies (see image). I don't know if this has anything to d with my having the firefox option Not to Track me enabled.

Cookies come back for me on my system when I have fully uninstalled all addons and then added WebRep back. I will probably just run without that addon and have everything work as I expect it to.

[DavidR]

I have no idea why this is happening on your system when it doesn't happen with Asyn or I, weird.

Even so cookies really aren't that big of an issue, with firefox and cookie monster set-up as suggested then cookies are session only (with exception to those you grant permission to have a persistent cookie) and gone when you close firefox. Nothing of any worth can be harvested from a session cookie that the site doesn't already know whilst you are actually visiting it, cookies aren't programs but simple text files to store session data.