598813 - username is validated against mozilla servers when "custom server" is selected

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox :: Sync, defect)

Description

[:Atoll]

Steps to reproduce on FF 4b6:

1. Set up sync for the first time.  Select "I have never synced".
2. At the "Create your sync account" screen, select "Use a custom server" from the "Connect to" dropdown.
3. Type the letter "a" into the "User Name" field.  Move the cursor to any other field.
BUG: Firefox will display (x) Already in use.

At this stage, there is no sync server defined, so Firefox is incapable of knowing that the username "a" is already taken, since I haven't specified a sync server yet.

My theory is that, lacking a sync server definition, it is checking the username against the Firefox Sync servers.  The username "a" is indeed taken in production, but not in stage or dev.

Perhaps a potential data privacy issue with people's usernames being sent to us when they specifically intend otherwise.

Comment 1

[Allison Naaktgeboren :ally]

QA, is this still a problem?

Comment 2

[Tracy Walker [:tracy]]

yes, this still occurs. "a" is no longer valid, But I did use a known live account to test against.  

Note: this occurs if you have selected but have yet to enter a valid custom server URL.  If you enter a valid custom server, username (now Email Address) validation works against the custom server.

Comment 3

[Chris Karlof [:ckarlof]]

This bug only likely affects Sync 1.1, and it was shut down in the fall of 2015 (https://blog.mozilla.org/services/2015/07/31/shutting-down-the-legacy-sync-service/).