Report Malicious or Bad Extensions to Mozilla

Firefox is one of the most popular browsers, used by millions of people around the world. One of its main features is the ability to install extensions or add-ons to improve our user experience. However, on occasion we can be taken with a malicious or defective extension , before which it is important that we can notify Mozilla so that it can proceed to its elimination.

What are Firefox extensions

Extensions are small tools that we can install in our Firefox browser and that are attached automatically. They offer us additional functions or information about a website. These extensions are organized in Firefox by categories, such as “Utilities”, “Messaging and social networks”, “Information and news”, “Appearance and design”, “Download management”, “Online shopping and Security“.

Report Malicious or Bad Extensions to Mozilla

In this way, these add-ons allow us to add additional features to improve our experience with Firefox. For example, we can have add-ons to compare prices, change the appearance of the browser, check the weather, update our profile on Facebook or listen to music, among many other functions.

If we want to add add-ons, just press the Menu button (three horizontal stripes in the upper right part) and select Add- ons from the drop-down menu , so that the Add-on Manager opens. From here, we select the appropriate panel according to the type of add-ons that we want to see or manage, such as “Plugins”, “Extensions” or “Themes”.

What dangers can third-party extensions have

While extensions can help us improve our Firefox experience, we can also be exposed to a number of dangers. And is that the installation of third-party extensions in our browser can cause us problems since we can find fraudulent and harmful extensions.

And it is that, although it is not usually something frequent , if we can find extensions that can be harmful and that are capable of collecting and selling our browsing data. There are also extensions that can include adware and malware and that are responsible for including them on the computers where we have the browser installed.

To do this, Mozilla is constantly fighting against this type of fraudulent extensions, deleting them or limiting their installation from external sources. Despite this, there is also the danger that new extensions will appear that do more than they should or seek to be installed pretending to be others, in order to be harmful without our knowing it.

What is meant by extension abuse

Each extension and theme published in Firefox Add-ons is subject to Mozilla’s add- on policies and terms of use. They were created to protect us against inappropriate content or behavior in extensions or themes created for Firefox. These policies and conditions of use of Firefox express what are the types of content and behavior that are considered inappropriate are the following

Inappropriate content and behavior

  • Spreading hate speech or inciting violence.
  • Promote illegal activities.
  • Include content that shows graphic representations of sexuality or violence.
  • Send unsolicited communications.
  • Provide functions that are not necessary to carry out the indicated function of the extension or plug-in. For example, if the function of an extension is to help make fonts more readable, you shouldn’t need to create a new tab that contains a website that you haven’t chosen to visit.
  • Request a payment to use an extension feature, if that need for that payment does not appear in the extension description.
  • Request personal data that is not detailed in the privacy policy of the extension. For example, if the privacy policy states that only the information necessary to send you email updates about the extension is collected, the extension should not ask for your postal address.
  • Use personal data or other data collected in a way that is not contemplated in the privacy policy of the extension. For example, sending your email address to a third party who then sends you advertising emails.
  • Inject ads into web pages without making it clear that the plugin itself was the cause of those ads. We can see this if the web pages that did not contain ads before installing the add-on, now do.

On the contrary, we must also take into account some acts derived from the use of the extensions that do not suppose an improper use . For example, in the event that we find a lack of functionality in the extension compared to what it says in its description; a malfunction or make it difficult to use certain functions of the same, or that its use causes a slow performance of the same, as long as it does not affect the general performance of Firefox.

Therefore, if we have a problem with an extension or topic that is being misused, we can contact Mozilla. Thus, we will be able to inform them and act accordingly.

Report a malicious topic or extension to Mozilla

From everything seen so far, if we believe that we have come across an extension or issue that violates Mozilla’s add-on policies, we must bring it to your attention, following these simple steps.

The first thing we must do is enter Firefox Add-ons and locate the application that includes a malicious activity and click on it. Within the Rate your experience section, we can find the button to Report an improper use of this add-on , which is the one we must use to inform Mozilla about it.

Mozilla Addons

Once we click on it, a new window will appear where we must select what is the problem that we have found in the extension. Next, we must give all the details we can within the Explain field in which way this plugin violates our policies . Once completed, we will click “Submit abuse report.” In this way, the Mozilla team will respond to our request and will review all the information provided about the extension.

What happens after the information is sent

Once we have proceeded to submit all the information about a fraudulent extension, the Mozilla add-on team will review it. Once all the information provided has been reviewed, if the misuse of that theme or extension is confirmed, they will proceed to its elimination until the developer solves the problems. Depending on the severity of the abuse, a block may be set to prevent it from loading in Firefox.