Firefox Plugin installed without permission.

I just noticed a new plugin registered in my install of Firefox--SOE Web Installer 1.0.3.171
I did NOT authorize the installation of this plugin, I have NO idea what it is doing, nor can it be removed. It is simply not listed under "aboutlugins" as it should be. It has a disable button, but I have no way of knowing if it actually does anything as all references to the plugin have been stripped out of the "about:config" pane of Firefox. I also found the following registry entry:
FF - HKLM\Software\MozillaPlugins\@soe.sony.com/installer,version=1.0.3: C:\Documents and Settings\owner\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\5kpvldeq.default\extensions\{000F1EA4-5E08-4564-A29B-29076F63A37A}\plugins\npsoe.dll ()
So, I have a few questions. Let me make it clear that the answers to these questions (or a lack of them) will be the sole determing factor in whether or not I resubscribe next month (all three accounts). This also effects the same decision of the circle of friends I play with. In short, unsatisfactory answers will result in the cancelation of numerous accounts. Deletion of this post will act as a proxy answer. I remember the Sony Rootkit well. This had better not be another.

Q: What, exactly, is this plugin supposed to be doing, for me as a customer. What benefit am I supposed to be getting from having it installed? If there is no benefit to me, what is the benefit to SOE?
Q: How can I uninstall it?
Q: Why was I not informed of the plugin upon installation?
Q: Why, specifically, is this plugin not listed in the Firefox plugin registry (aboutlugins)? For that matter, why is it not listed in "about:config"? There should be an entry along the lines of "plugin.scan.SOE", but there isn't.

I will be checking back frequently to check and see if these questions are answered. Thank you.

Tech forum would most likely be the best place to get this answered.

Looks like it has something to do with the Station Launcher. Just Google soe web installer 1.0.3.171
http://forums.station.sony.com/stat..._id=11500022738
http://forums.station.sony.com/stat..._id=11500014360
http://forums.station.sony.com/stat..._id=11500015322

Well, it has an effect on my gameplay--whether or not I continue playing at all.
Besides, the Mods can move it to the appropriate forum if it is indeed in the wrong place.
I've done some of my own searching around and determined that at one time, this plugin was for SOE games like "Freerealms" that are browser-based. I've never used a browser-based game nor do I plan to. A web-browser is the weakest link in terms of PC security and I keep my browser tightly locked down as a result, only to have some unannounced plugin pop up as if none of my security settings mattered.
From my perspective, this is a Firefox security vulnerability that SOE took advantage of--no 3rd-party application should be allowed to install browser plugins without announcing it to the computer owner. At this point my only enforcement option is to uninstall everything related to SOE and blacklist their servers at the HOST file level, then re-install Firefox. Some people do not care about such things, but I do. I do not take kindly to people doing things on my computer without my explicit permission. If someone sat down at my computer and tried the same thing, I'd smack 'em upside the head.
Over-reacting? No. I took a stand when Blizzard started selling voice-chat logs to Facebook (it was, and is, in the EULA)--I canceled all of my families accounts, as did my friends--we all moved to EQ2. We keep each other informed. We discuss this sort of stuff regularly in our private Ventrilo chats. I guess you could say we act as a group when it comes to gaming.
This is the last MMO we play. If we cancel, it's back to VPN multi-player games.
I really hope I get a reasonable response to this post.

If the plugin is currently enabled this link has a uninstall.
If you had googled "soe web installer plugin firefox" its the first search link.
I downloaded the small uninstall file and it worked fine.

https://launch.soe.com/plugin/

Tylia@Butcherblock wrote:

Yeah, I found those as well--Seriously outdated by years. The plugin of which I speak was installed yesterday.

Lamatu wrote:

Requires me to have the plugin "enabled" to even see the page. No thanks. I disabled it the moment I found it, and it will stay that way until I find out exactly what it does. I should be able to uninstall the plugin through Firefox, but it is not even listed in the location where you do that.
I have a tendency to assume I am being screwed when people try to hide things from me.
Edit: That page also tries to install the same plugin the moment you load the page (No-Script blocked it).

Well you asked how to uninstall it and I answered you. Asking a mod to lock this thread.

From the webpage that was linked:

"The SOE Web Installer is responsible for installing, updating, and launching games published by Sony Online Entertainment. It is implemented as a plugin for each supported browser."
You more than likely agree to download this plug-in upon accepting the Terms of Services after installing the streaming launcher.

Lamatu wrote:

Nice to see you speak for SOE now. I asked them, not you.

I'm also curious how this installed without confirmation.

You should of asked this question in 2009.

Lamatu wrote:

Why? It wasn't installed in 2009. It was installed for the first time yesterday.

I want to know what it does, at this time, what dependancies EQ2 has on it, if any. Mine was also installed recently.. 2 days ago.
Also not happy that it bypassed my restriction for Firefox not installing plug-ins of its own volition.
Sorry, but I havent forgotten the "diagnostic" spyware they tried to foist upon us.

Atan@Unrest wrote:

Apparently, 3rd party applications can install browser plugins in Firefox. Until now, the only application I have had do this was Microsoft's Silverlight, but considering Silverlight was designed to implement Netflix digital rights at the browser level, that made perfect sense. I didn't question it since I am running Windows 7, a Microsoft product.
SOE has nothing to do with my browser or my operating system, yet they insist on altering both (I got rootkitted by a Sony music CD years ago, and I haven't forgotten it--I was hoping they'd learned their lesson).

Edit: Spelling and additional info

Atan@Unrest wrote:

If this is something that is becoming a trend, it is not one I am very fond of.

I did not knowingly agree to the creation of "C:\Crash" on my PC. Based on what other people have reported, the Gigs of data that was in that directory, could very well have been automatically uploaded by wws_crashreport_uploader.exe (in the EQ2 folder). I never, ever, ever want any company assuming they have any right to upload gigabytes of data from my PC, without asking me first. If that kind of data volume is going to be put on my outbound, I want to know about it.

Now people are reporting plugin installations being made to their browsers, without requesting permission?

I am hoping there are logical explanations to all of this, and that nothing untoward is occuring. After what happened over a year ago, SOE should be taking privacy and consumer data safety very seriously.

This post has moved: /eq2/posts/preList.m?topic_id=516788&post_id=5780422 Trolling

Avirodar@Oasis wrote:

Now I'm curious. My "Crash" folder has files starting June 23. So either it removes files or its just existed a little over a month. And what is that "wws_crashreport_uploader.exe".
And where would I find this plugin in google chrome? Firefox has been misbehaving for me lately so I haven't used it much.

SOE-MOD-12 wrote:

Thank you, SOE-MOD-12, for not burying this thread.

Ok so you want a non-troll post.
Have you even attempted to contact Sony directly about the issue that is going to make you "quit" the game before posting your complaints on an open board that you can almost guarantee nobody is going to have a direct answer to?
Posting a topic on the forums that is only going to entice others before seeking some sort of direct contact with the company in question imo...is trolling...Mr. Mod . Not to mention in the wrong section to begin with.