Author Topic: Firefox: Is this New Behaviour?  (Read 4013 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Cluster-Lizard2014

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 334
Firefox: Is this New Behaviour?
« on: August 25, 2016, 12:52:17 AM »
I've long ago resigned myself to the AVAST WebRep not working with Firefox but I'd set the Firefox about:config > xpinstall.signatures.required to false and I assumed the AVAST Online Security would still be working even though I removed the non-working WebRep icon from the Firefox toolbar.

Today when I started Firefox both before and after the update (48.0.2) I had a new warning message that certain unsigned addons had now been disabled. When I checked it was AVAST OS.

I checked that the xpinstall.signatures.required config setting hadn't been changed from 'false'. It hadn't.

Have Mozilla now stopped allowing unsigned Addons even though that setting is supposed to bypass the requirement, at your own risk of course? Or is this something that AVAST is doing to provoke what appears to be an override of this setting? 

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88900
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: Firefox: Is this New Behaviour?
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2016, 01:41:27 AM »
Firefox has been warning for absolutely ages that it will require signed extensions (no exemptions, even that hack) and as far as I'm aware the avast add-on is signed.

What we don't see in your post is the version of avast that you are using ?

Calling the extension WebRep is incorrect or you are using an ancient avast version.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Offline Tangy

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 149
Re: Firefox: Is this New Behaviour?
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2016, 03:45:12 AM »
Everything is working fine here.
OS:Win xpsp3 pro, CPU:2.8 GHz, Ram:4 Gb HD:500 Gb,Avastfree18.8.22356,OSArmor,Basilisk+NewMoon(Roytam1),ublockorigin,Adguard, SystemExplorer, MCShield, MBAM on demand, FW:PC Tools Plus ,WinPat,Decentraleyes,privacy badger,minerblock.
OS : Windows 7 pro 64bits Avast free Malwarebytes antiexploit

Offline Cluster-Lizard2014

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 334
Re: Firefox: Is this New Behaviour?
« Reply #3 on: August 25, 2016, 04:23:01 AM »
Firefox has been warning for absolutely ages that it will require signed extensions (no exemptions, even that hack) and as far as I'm aware the avast add-on is signed.

What we don't see in your post is the version of avast that you are using ?

Calling the extension WebRep is incorrect or you are using an ancient avast version.

I am using an old AVAST version but the well known signed extension requirement which I think I may have posted about here months ago could be bypassed by using that config setting. Up until today the Firefox Addons page has simply shown such items as unsigned with a warning, that's all.

It shouldn't matter the age of the addon and almost certainly doesn't. It is, probably, Mozilla removing yet more user control from Firefox. They are going to kill it if they're not careful.

I just wanted to check it wasn't an AVAST problem first before asking them about this.     

Offline Asyn

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 76037
    • >>>  Avast Forum - Deutschsprachiger Bereich  <<<
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0

Offline Cluster-Lizard2014

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 334
Re: Firefox: Is this New Behaviour?
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2016, 12:56:26 PM »
It appears then that mandatory signing wasn't immediately enforced with the introduction of Firefox v48, at least no warning messages were forthcoming when I first updated to v48 a number of weeks ago. But now mandatory signing is in affect and that bypasses the user settings whether we, the users, like it or not.

Thanks for the info.


Offline midnight

  • Massive Poster
  • ****
  • Posts: 2462
  • Never Be Rude
Re: Firefox: Is this New Behaviour?
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2016, 02:41:09 PM »
I'm still using version 2279 and the latest version of Firefox but under security browser extension it still shows Avast WebRep.
.

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88900
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: Firefox: Is this New Behaviour?
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2016, 03:35:12 PM »
Firefox has been warning for absolutely ages that it will require signed extensions (no exemptions, even that hack) and as far as I'm aware the avast add-on is signed.

What we don't see in your post is the version of avast that you are using ?

Calling the extension WebRep is incorrect or you are using an ancient avast version.

I am using an old AVAST version but the well known signed extension requirement which I think I may have posted about here months ago could be bypassed by using that config setting. Up until today the Firefox Addons page has simply shown such items as unsigned with a warning, that's all.

It shouldn't matter the age of the addon and almost certainly doesn't.
It is, probably, Mozilla removing yet more user control from Firefox. They are going to kill it if they're not careful.
<snip>     

Of course it will make a difference as that old avast version will have an equally old version of the avast add-on, which is unlikely to be unsigned.

We have known for some considerable time Mozilla were going to enforce add-on signing, it just took longer than they originally forecast, that was a bonus.

Now it is here, start searching as there is yet another hack for firefox 48.0.2 to try to get round it.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Offline DavidR

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 88900
  • No support PMs thanks
Re: Firefox: Is this New Behaviour?
« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2016, 03:40:11 PM »
I'm still using version 2279 and the latest version of Firefox but under security browser extension it still shows Avast WebRep.

Just another area of the avastUI that needs to be updated as firefox 48.0.2 reports the avast add-on as Avast On-line Security. This could also do with being updated, given that avast calls it the Security Browser Extension in the Avast Components section.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Offline Asyn

  • Avast Überevangelist
  • Certainly Bot
  • *****
  • Posts: 76037
    • >>>  Avast Forum - Deutschsprachiger Bereich  <<<
Re: Firefox: Is this New Behaviour?
« Reply #9 on: August 26, 2016, 05:58:05 AM »
Thanks for the info.
You're welcome.

PS: It isn't enforced in FF ESR yet. ;)
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0

Offline MartinZ

  • Advanced Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 1057
  • Product Manager
Re: Firefox: Is this New Behaviour?
« Reply #10 on: August 26, 2016, 10:44:50 AM »
For some really old avast versions we didn't updated the FF plugin to latest signed version. That's why you see the warning.

Offline Cluster-Lizard2014

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 334
Re: Firefox: Is this New Behaviour?
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2016, 12:27:07 AM »
Thank all for the info.

Found the method for disabling the Mozilla override too so thanks for bringing that to my attention. Not an easy fix or as simple as the guy who posted about it says but still do-able for those who might want to use it.