Is the NPAPI plugin what I'm looking for?

Question

I need to develop a ClickOnce mini-plugin for Firefox, Chrome, Operah and Safari (preferably one that works for all of the above).

My plugin should be able to launch the application with one click. In other words, by going to a specific URL, my application will be launched on the target machine (no prompts / dialogs are shown). Unfortunately, ClickOnce is only available with IE, and I'm not happy with the ClickOnce plugins that currently exist. I would like to develop a customized ClickOnce plugin that suits my specific needs.

I read about FireBreath, which sounded like the perfect solution for me. I also read about the difference between an extension and a plugin, and I think the plugin is what I'm looking for. I just wanted to make sure you were on the right track. What do I want to achieve with FireBreath / NPAPI plugins? Can a plugin load an executable file and then run it on the target machine?

Answer 1

Yes, NPAPI will let you do what you want. You can run arbitrary custom code using the NPAPI plugin and manage it using JavaScript on the side of the web page. Users will have to download and install your plugin, although it makes sense if this is something that users will use more than once.

You obviously have to be very careful with security. If you are creating a plugin whose sole purpose is to download and run the code without user interaction, then you need to be absolutely sure that there is no way to use an attacker for your plugin.