Adblock Plus

Javascript software exists called Bitcoin Plus which can use your CPU to generate electronic currency (bitcoins) while you visit a website with the software installed - more details here:
http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questi ... abling-jav

This can cost a user substantial amounts of money in electricity, as well as shorten the life of computer hardware, as it runs the CPU at 100%. It sounds like I could use Adblock Plus to avoid running such scripts (as suggested by a user in the above link), but can I ever expect Adblock Plus to protect from these kinds of threats as default behaviour?

Thanks

Highly Irregular wrote:but can I ever expect Adblock Plus to protect from these kinds of threats as default behaviour?

There is nothing that stops anyone from making a filter subscription to block such things, but I'm currently not aware of such a filter list, sorry.

I don't think it would ever be suggested by default though, Adblock Plus - as the name says - is expected to block ads, lists that block other stuff are available as well (i.e. lists that block tracking, lists that block malware domains, lists that block social buttons and plugins, ......), but it's for the user to decide which of those they want to add.


BTW: As far as I can see, the bitcoin stuff requires Java (not only Javascript) to work and if you are really concerned about things like this (or security or privacy for that matter) you should seriously consider disabling the Java plugin by default and only activate it when needed. (Ideally you would do that with all your plugins, but at least try to do it with those that you don't use daily - the lesser attack vectors the better).