# Firesheep

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Firesheep
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Firesheep.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firesheep
> Source revision: 1286991777
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Firefox extension}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = Firesheep
| screenshot             = 
| developer              = Eric Butler
| latest_release_version = 0.1-1<ref>{{cite web|last=Butler|first=Eric|title=Firesheep – codebutler|url=http://codebutler.com/firesheep?c=1|accessdate=December 20, 2010|archive-date=August 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120820220335/http://codebutler.com/firesheep?c=1|url-status=live}}</ref>
| latest release date    = 
| language               = English
| operating_system       = Microsoft Windows and {{nowrap|Mac OS X}} (highly unstable on Linux)
| genre                  = [Add-on (Mozilla)](/source/Add-on_(Mozilla))
| license                = 
| website                = {{URL|https://codebutler.com/firesheep}}
}}

'''Firesheep''' was an [extension](/source/Add-on_(Mozilla)) for the [Firefox](/source/Firefox) web browser to [hijack sessions](/source/Session_hijacking). It used a [packet sniffer](/source/Packet_analyzer) to [intercept unencrypted session cookies](/source/HTTP_cookie) from websites such as [Facebook](/source/Facebook) and [Twitter](/source/Twitter). The plugin eavesdropped on [Wi-Fi](/source/Wi-Fi) communications, listening for session cookies. When it detected a session cookie, the tool used this cookie to obtain the identity belonging to that session. The collected identities (victims) are displayed in a side bar in Firefox. By clicking on a victim's name, the victim's session is taken over by the attacker.<ref name="securitynow">{{cite web |author=Steve Gibson, Gibson Research Corporation |url=http://www.grc.com/sn/sn-272.htm |title=Security Now! Transcript of Episode No. 272 |publisher=Grc.com |accessdate=November 2, 2010 |archive-date=October 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001055454/http://www.grc.com/sn/sn-272.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The extension was released October 2010 as a demonstration of the security risk of [session hijacking](/source/session_hijacking) vulnerabilities to users of web sites that only encrypt the login process and not the [cookie(s)](/source/HTTP_cookie) created during the login process.<ref name="lifehacker-fs">{{cite web|title=Firesheep Sniffs Out Facebook and Other User Credentials on Wi-Fi Hotspots|date=October 25, 2010|url=http://lifehacker.com/5672313/sniff-out-user-credentials-at-wi+fi-hotspots-with-firesheep|publisher=Lifehacker|accessdate=October 28, 2010|archive-date=August 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804025759/http://lifehacker.com/5672313/sniff-out-user-credentials-at-wi+fi-hotspots-with-firesheep|url-status=live}}</ref> It has been warned that the use of the extension to capture login details without permission would violate wiretapping laws and/or computer security laws in some countries. Despite the security threat surrounding Firesheep, representatives for [Mozilla Add-ons](/source/Mozilla_Add-ons) stated initially that it would not use the browser's internal add-on blacklist to disable use of Firesheep, as the blacklist has only been used to disable [spyware](/source/spyware) or add-ons which inadvertently create security vulnerabilities, as opposed to attack tools (which may legitimately be used in legitimate [penetration tests](/source/Penetration_test)).<ref name="cw-firesheep">{{cite web|last=Keizer|first=Gregg|title=Mozilla: No 'kill switch' for Firesheep add-on|date=October 28, 2010|url=http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9193420/Mozilla_No_kill_switch_for_Firesheep_add_on|publisher=Computer World|accessdate=October 29, 2010|archive-date=October 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010180113/http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9193420/Mozilla_No_kill_switch_for_Firesheep_add_on|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since then, Firesheep has been removed from the Firefox addon store.

A similar tool called Faceniff was released for Android mobile phones.<ref name="hns-faceniff">{{cite web|title=Sniff and intercept web session profiles on Android|date=June 2, 2011|url=http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=11107|publisher=Help Net Security|accessdate=June 2, 2011|archive-date=July 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712143712/http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=11107|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
*[HTTPS](/source/HTTPS)
*[Transport Layer Security](/source/Transport_Layer_Security)
*[HTTP Strict Transport Security](/source/HTTP_Strict_Transport_Security)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://codebutler.github.io/firesheep}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}

Category:Hacking (computer security)
Category:Free Firefox legacy extensions

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Firesheep](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firesheep) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firesheep?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.