1598290 - Command line -private / -private-window with --search parameter doesn't start a private session

Status: NEW

(Firefox :: Private Browsing, defect, P3)

Description

[Adrian Florinescu [:aflorinescu]]

[Environment:]

Windows 10 Pro, Ubuntu 16.04

ESR 68.2.0esr 20191016163237
Nightly 72.0a1 20191120234543
Beta 71.0b11 20191118154140
Release 70.0.1 20191030021342

[Description:]

Running a search from command line like:
./firefox -private --search foo
would be expected to open a new tab with the search results in a tab in a private window

Not particularly sure if or how this should work at all with ./firefox -private-window --search foo

[Steps:]

1. Install Firefox.
2. Use command prompt /terminal to launch it with private and search start-up parameters: " ./firefox -private --search foo "

[Actual Result:]

Notice that the search is performed, but you have no clue if you're in private mode or not --> also see bug 1521372

[Expected Result:]

The search should be performed in private mode

[Note:]

1. Due to a new feature shipping with Fx71(?) - Allow setting a separate search engine for private browsing , this bug might become a bit more visible than otherwise
2. I didn't test on Mac for the time being, since I think that probably should be a separate bug to be had when this bug is going to move forward.

Comment 1

[Graham Perrin]

no clue if you're in private mode

Bug 1048286

Comment 2

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco/ :calixte]]

The priority flag is not set for this bug.
:groovecoder, could you have a look please?

For more information, please visit auto_nag documentation.

Comment 3

[Luke Crouch [:groovecoder]]

Assigning this as P3 since it's the same UX issue as Bug 1048286; i.e., - not a privacy vulnerability.

Comment 4

[Rob Wu [:robwu]]

This can probably be fixed be swapping the order of https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/d866b96d74ec2a63f09ee418f048d23f4fd379a2/browser/components/BrowserContentHandler.jsm#540-558

There is a check for the --private flag (via PrivateBrowsingUtils.isInTemporaryAutoStartMode) in doSearch, but due to the swapped order of execution, that logic doesn't work: https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/d866b96d74ec2a63f09ee418f048d23f4fd379a2/browser/components/BrowserContentHandler.jsm#370