Firefox
Firefox opens websites and includes tools for bookmarks, saved passwords, downloads and PDF files. It’s made by Mozilla, based in the United States.
Criminals have used its name in fake downloads or scams, so get it only from firefox.com.
What it is
Firefox is Mozilla’s web browser for everyday tasks such as shopping, email and watching videos. Mozilla also offers Developer Edition and Nightly testing versions, which use separate bundle identifiers.
Firefox handles your browsing history, cookies, saved passwords and information entered into web forms. It can use your camera, microphone, location or screen when you allow those features for a website. Mozilla also collects technical and usage data, with controls in Settings.
Firefox blocks known trackers and checks for known phishing sites and harmful downloads. Mozilla publishes security fixes and supplies automatic updates. Fake Firefox update pages have been used to distribute unwanted software.
Who makes it
Mozilla Corporation is a US software company established in 2005 and owned by the non-profit Mozilla.org. Its legal name is Mozilla Corporation. Its website is mozilla.org.
Mozilla makes other software with flaws that attackers have used. Its page in Companies lists them.
Is it the real one?
Every Mac app carries a signature from the developer who made it. Apple checks who the developer is before handing out the certificate, and macOS refuses to open an app whose signature has been tampered with.
HARD hasn’t yet recorded the signature on a real copy of Firefox. Its Mac app shows who signed the copy you have.
Its bundle ID, the name macOS knows it by, is org.mozilla.firefox or org.mozilla.firefoxdeveloperedition or org.mozilla.nightly. Download it only from firefox.com, not from an ad or a link someone sends you.
Fakes. In January 2018, fake Firefox update pages pushed unwanted extensions. Mozilla also documents fake update adverts and pages that trick people into installing malware.
What it connects to
In normal use, Firefox talks to these places on the internet. A firewall that asks before apps connect, like the one in HARD’s Mac app, will show them.
| Address | Why |
|---|---|
aus5.mozilla.org | Checks for browser updates. |
download.cdn.mozilla.net | Downloads Firefox updates. |
firefox.settings.services.mozilla.com | Retrieves browser settings and security data. |
incoming.telemetry.mozilla.org | Sends technical and usage data. |
firefox-portal-detection.com | Checks whether a network requires sign-in. |
safebrowsing.googleapis.com | Checks for known harmful websites and downloads. |
accounts.firefox.com | Signs in to a Mozilla account. |
addons.mozilla.org | Finds and updates browser extensions. |
What it can see
macOS asks you before an app can use these. You can change them any time in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
| Permission | What it’s for |
|---|---|
| Camera | Lets websites use your camera when you allow it, such as for video calls. |
| Microphone | Lets websites capture your voice when you allow it. |
| Screen & System Audio Recording | Allows screen sharing with a website. |
| Local Network | Allows connections to websites and services on devices on your local network. |
| Location Services | Provides your location to websites when you approve their requests. |
Security record
Problems with Firefox or Mozilla in the last three years, newest first. Keeping the app up to date covers the ones that were fixed.
| When | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mozilla fixed a high-severity webpage layout flaw, CVE-2026-120572, in Firefox 159.0.1. | ↗ | |
| Firefox 159 fixed serious flaws that could bypass website separation or escape browser security restrictions. | ↗ | |
| Firefox 158.0.1 fixed a high-severity graphics flaw and included a blocklist for compromised eMudhra certificates. | ↗ | |
| Firefox 158 fixed serious flaws affecting browser security restrictions, memory handling and software updates. | ↗ | |
| Attackers exploited CVE-2024-9680 to run code inside Firefox’s webpage process; Mozilla fixed it in Firefox 131.0.2 and supported ESR releases. | ↗ |
References
- Apple’s browser bundle identifier reference github.com
- About the Mozilla Corporation mozilla.org
- Mozilla Law Enforcement Guidelines mozilla.org
- Firefox Privacy Notice mozilla.org
- Download Firefox firefox.com
- Update Firefox to the latest release support.mozilla.org
- Firefox release notes firefox.com
- Domains to allow for Firefox support.mozilla.org
- Manage camera and microphone permissions in Firefox support.mozilla.org
- Firefox camera and microphone access on macOS support.caveon.com
- Mozilla screen-sharing permission investigation bugzilla.mozilla.org
- Apple screen and system audio recording permissions support.apple.com
- Mozilla local network access investigation bugzilla.mozilla.org
- Mozilla macOS location permission investigation bugzilla.mozilla.org
- I found a fake Firefox update support.mozilla.org
- Fake Firefox manual update scam reported in January 2018 bleepingcomputer.com
- Security vulnerabilities fixed in Firefox 159.0.1 mozilla.org
- Security vulnerabilities fixed in Firefox 159 mozilla.org
- Security vulnerabilities fixed in Firefox 158.0.1 mozilla.org
- Security vulnerabilities fixed in Firefox 158 mozilla.org
- Actively exploited vulnerability fixed in Firefox 131.0.2 mozilla.org