Autohosts - Block Ads Spyware and Tracking at the Root Level

Autohosts - Block Ads Spyware and Tracking at the Root Level Original

Security adblocking automation privacy security

Source (link to git-repo or to original if based on someone elses unmodified work): https://github.com/angela-d/autohosts

Score 58.0%

Description:

Auto Hosts will automate the setup process for maintaining an up to date hosts file, by:

- Installing a weekly cronjob to pull fresh/updated copies of hosts lists (default is every Sunday at 7:22pm)
- (Default custom_filters and firefox-includes) source appends Facebook trackers, Linkedin ads, Google fonts, Firefox telemetry and other harvester sites that curated lists for whatever reason, have not added to their blacklists
- Refreshes DNS to instantiate the re-routed changes (Mac Only)
- If Devdom is installed, append all local virtualhosts
- Uninstall offers the ability to revert to a fresh hosts file and undo any changes made by Autohosts; a backup will be copied to /tmp
- Add custom blacklists, whitelists and host sources from ~/autohosts on your desktop

Hosts files will reroute unwanted traffic to a blackhole; routing to 0.0.0.0 (localhost; your PC) when a request is made to a URL on the blacklist.

Which means any traffic that would have left your system for that destination, is sent inward, to your localhost and then abandoned.

Despite what some may suggest, hosts files are not "1980s technology" and still very useful today, as an additional layer of security.

Hosts file are a useful redundancy when coupled with ad blockers like uBlock Origin and uMatrix - while debugging or 'Temporarily Allow All on this Site' with Noscript can open you up to underlying attacks or privacy intrusions.

In-browser filters won't protect you if the browser itself is phoning home.

If you have an up-to-date hosts file, the risk is severely lessened.

Who Should Use Autohosts?
If you are frequently mobile, your privacy-hardened installs of Pi-Hole, OpenWRT or DD-WRT on your home router will not protect you. Autohosts will shield you while on the go, independent of whose network you logon to.
Likewise, not everyone has the means to flash custom router firmware or the skill necessary to do so. Autohosts can fill that gap.

Safe icon by DesignContest http://www.designcontest.com

Last changelog:

v3.0.0 - Freedom of choice! 1 month ago

- You can now utilize your own choice upstream hosts curators, rather than being content with the (previously) hardcoded host list by Steven Black.

- Logic improvements and bugfixes

sdmf
1 month ago

9 9 excellent

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v3.0.0 - Freedom of choice! 1 month ago

- You can now utilize your own choice upstream hosts curators, rather than being content with the (previously) hardcoded host list by Steven Black.

- Logic improvements and bugfixes

v2.0.1 1 month ago

- Bugfixes for the .deb installer
- Whitelisting capabilities added

2.0.0 3 months ago

- Minor bugfixes for MacOS
- System paths reworked for the .deb installer in order to share the codebase between Debian and non-Debian based systems

Custom filters added 9 months ago

- The ability to add custom filters that stick around after subsequent cron updates has been added!
- Tidying of the codebase, so its more readable and organized
- Fixed addons/extensions AWS domain block

1.2.0 9 months ago

- Removed over-zealous blocking of Mozilla's addon subdomains
- Wipe hosts file upon removal & save a backup to tmp
- Change logic on Firefox telemetry inclusion