1675077 - Locking browser.privatebrowsing.autostart should prevent permanent private browsing mode in prefs

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Firefox :: Enterprise Policies, defect, P5)

Description

[KlausR]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:82.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/82.0

Steps to reproduce:

Firefox ESR 78.4 (32 and 64Bit) Windows 10 + Enterprise Police with Function
" Preferences":
{
"browser.privatebrowsing.autostart":
{
"Value": false,
"Status": "locked"
}
}

Actual results:

Is private mode activated in the settings (via extras / settings) and the value is set to false with the enterprise policy with browser.privatebrowsing.autostart (switch off private mode in the settings) does Firefox only start with private mode?

Expected results:

That the private mode is switched off!

If no private mode is set in the extra settings and you use the Enterprise Policy with browser.privatebrowsing.autostart (as described above), this setting works until you have selected the Extras Settings - History - Firefox will never create a history. After a restart, only the private mode is displayed?

Comment 1

[Andre Klapper]

KlausR: Please summarize the actual problem in the task summary and include a verb, so this task can be distinguished. Thanks!

Comment 2

[KlausR]

I don't speak English so again with the translator (Google)

If "Always use private mode" is selected in the Firefox ESR settings, the Enterprise Policy is used with the Preferences function and the "browser.privatebrowsing.autostart" entry with {"Value": false, "Status": "locked"} in order not to be able to use the "private mode", Firefox ESR only starts in private mode.
Or
If “Private Mode” is not selected in the history of Firefox ESR and the Enterprise Policy is used with the Preferences function and the entry “browser.privatebrowsing.autostart” with {"Value": false, "Status": "locked "} to prevent the" private mode "from being used, this works until" Firefox will never create a history "has been selected in the history settings. Then Firefox only starts in private mode.

Comment 3

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

If you want to prevent private browsing from being used, you should use the DisablePrivateBrowsing policy:

https://github.com/mozilla/policy-templates#disableprivatebrowsing

Not this preference.

If you are trying to set this preference so that Firefox always starts in private mode, you'll have to use "user" instead of "locked" and it will happen the second time Firefox is started.

This preference is required early in startup, so it can't be locked.

If we're not still understanding your problem, please post in your native language and we'll have someone take a look.

Comment 4

[KlausR]

Hi Mike
Thanks for that information. "DisablePrivateBrowsing" is better to hide the settings of the private mode!
Unfortunately then the selection -> File -> New Private Window is gone.
It would be ideal to enable a private window with one click (for simple users), regardless of the setting made.
The Enterprise Policy was rolled out as the standard for using Firefox ESR (currently still with 32Bit) for around 15,000 users. Works very well! As a developer, I also use Firefox privately
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dJ9X77ILJM

THANK YOU and stay healthy.

Comment 5

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

It would be ideal to enable a private window with one click (for simple users), regardless of the setting made.

The way private browsing works is that it is either enabled or not enabled. We can't easily make it so that private browsing windows work, but they user can't force the entire to be private.

And honestly, this would provide no security at all. The goal of the policy is to prevent private browsing for an enterprise. If the user has anyway to get a private browsing window, it would defeat the purpose.

But you do point out a bug that might need to be taken a look at. That is if browser.privatebrowsing.autostart is locked with a value of false, the user should not be able to use permanent private browsing mode.

I'll add this to our back log.

Comment 6

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

See:

https://github.com/mozilla/policy-templates/issues/474

I have a fix for all of this.

Comment 7

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

I'm going to add a new policy for permanent private browsing and fix the locking.

Comment 8

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

Attachment: Bug 1675077 - Add policy for PrivateBrowsingModeAvailability. r?kcochrane

Comment 9

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/9d5135dfcfb3
Add policy for PrivateBrowsingModeAvailability. r=kcochrane,fluent-reviewers,mconley,flod

Comment 10

[Norisz Fay [:noriszfay]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/9d5135dfcfb3

Comment 12

[Mike Kaply [:mkaply]]

Attachment: Bug 1675077 - Add policy for PrivateBrowsingModeAvailability. r?kcochrane

Original Revision: https://phabricator.services.mozilla.com/D216315

Comment 13

[Phabricator Automation]

esr128 Uplift Approval Request

• User impact if declined: Can't set new policy
• Code covered by automated testing: yes
• Fix verified in Nightly: yes
• Needs manual QE test: no
• Steps to reproduce for manual QE testing: N/A
• Risk associated with taking this patch: Very low
• Explanation of risk level: policy only
• String changes made/needed: English only fine (policy)
• Is Android affected?: no

Comment 14

[Pulsebot]

https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-esr128/rev/fa3702574f86