886973 - Firefox 22 by default uses TOR server

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 817533

(Core :: Networking, defect)

Description

[fshock]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:21.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/21.0 (Beta/Release)
Build ID: 20130511120803

Steps to reproduce:

Installed Firefox 22


Actual results:

Instead of using system proxy settings as with previous verisons, firefox 22 decided on it's own volition to use a TOR proxy.


Expected results:

Firefox 22 as in previous versions should use the specified proxy and not one of it's own choosing.
This could lead to security issues for me as I was totally unaware that TOR was being used.  
I wish to know if this is also the new behaviour in Thunderbird.

Comment 1

[Jo Hermans]

No, it doesn't. It would be a bad idea to depend on TOR, was it's slow, unreliable and even illegal to use in various countries (Ok, it has its uses for some people, I'm not arguing about that).

Is it caused by one of your add-ons, or doe you have any other TOR software on your system ? What proof do you have that TOR is used ?

Comment 2

[fshock]

So I will give my experience and then I will show some pictures.

I was previously using all version of firefox before 22 with the connection settings set to use system proxy settings.  My system proxy settings are not set to anything but direct connection.

I upgraded to firefox 22.  Totally unaware of this new behaviour (that tor was being used) I browsed to facebook and logged in.  Facebook tells me I am logging in from an unknown device.  I pull up ip chicken and see an IP that I did not recognize as an IP from my ISP.  And it has a url associated with TOR.

So this to me is a different behaviour going from v21 to v22.

Now some pictures...

Firefox 21 using system proxy settings: http://imgur.com/mJtXvqH
Firefox 22 using system proxy settings: http://imgur.com/ehBhBGf
Firefox 22 using no proxy: http://imgur.com/3RwTEM1

I do have tor installed, and I have foxyproxy installed but unset to use TOR. The only change that was made was upgrading from Firefox 21 to Firefox 22 which led to this behaviour.

Comment 3

[fshock]

Additional info:

Firefox 23 beta 1 using system settings: http://imgur.com/PfQc1Lv

So I tried Firefox 23 beta 1 and from the picture the behaviour is as expected as was with Firefox 21. 

I then reinstalled firefox 22 and the TOR behaviour came back.  I removed it installed Firefox 21 and the TOR behaviour disappeared.  Reinstalled v22 TOR behaviour is back.  Removed v22 installed 23 TOR behavior gone.  Removed v23 put back v21 TOR behaviour gone.  Removed v21 put back v22. TOR behaviour comes back.

So I can only say something funny is happening with v22.

Comment 4

[Jo Hermans]

It's very clear that this isn't due to Firefox - we're really not using Tor at all. You're using the SYSTEM proxy settings, which is the easiest way for Tor software to intercept connections from different applications. There must be a Tor proxy server active on your system (that's the 'localhost' in your manual settings), or something installed a remote proxy server in your local settings.

What is a bit strange though, is that you only see it in version 22. The only thing I can find is bug 817533 or bug 824341. If I read bug 817533 correctly, it means that an old manual configuration is being used, while it's not supposed to be. It probably means that you can erase this manual setting.

Comment 5

[fshock]

Can TOR only intercept connections by default if it is set in the system Proxy settings?  My local system proxy settings are set to "none".  The two other options there are Automatic and Manual.

I do have Tor installed.  But it is not set in the System Proxy Settings.

I agree with you though, somehow it Firefox is finding TOR on my system which it should not.  It should just use the systems settings which is set to "none".

There is at least one other user on the forums experiencing this where in their case Firefox 22 is using a proxy they had configure a while ago, had not used in a while and had deconfigured.

I just popped open Chormium, and opera and both are using system settings and are providing me with a proper connection.

Comment 6

[fshock]

Please also see this thread...

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=2721971

Comment 7

[José Carvalho]

I've just submitted bug 887546. It doesn't envolve TOR at all.

But now that I'm reading bug 817533 I certainly looks like the bug I submitted is a duplicate.