Thread: Add-ons not working due to certificate expiration

Add-ons Add-on Support
#368

It should let you install new, but Firefox won’t immediately re-verify the existing disabled extensions. It would be approximately 24 hours after the time stamp in this preference in about:config

app.update.lastUpdateTime.xpi-signature-verification

To trigger re-verification sooner, you can right-click > Reset that preference, then do a normal Exit/Quit and restart of Firefox. Within about 60 seconds that should run and validly signed extensions should be re-enabled.

Also, I don’t know what a .prem file is, so you might get the certificate from a Mozilla site I’ve linked over here: https://www.jeffersonscher.com/sumo/intermediate-cert.html

#369

At this point, the extensions are baked but still in QA. If you want to be a volunteer tester, you can go to the following bug, scan down a bit to the Attachments section, and install the extension for your version. Please report back on whether it works or not.

1 Like
#370

Hi, @jscher2000, do you know how to convert that date-time format of about:config entry to mm-dd-yyyy?

For instance, here I have this:
app.update.lastUpdateTime.xpi-signature-verification = 1557482561
What does it means?
I want to know that to better control the time to trigger verifications and to better understand FF automatic procedure for that.

#371

Thats a *NIX epoch date

Open your terminal and enter:

$ date -d @1557482561
Fri May 10 06:02:41 EDT 2019

1 Like
#372

Nice!

Thank you, rec9140. :+1:

#373

One more question: FF will re-check certifications 24 hours after the last one?
Or when does it will do that?
How often?

#374

Owh, here I’m using Windows, not Linux.
No terminal available.
How to do that on Windows 7?

#375

No you need to run the commands.

Nothing will happen till then.

This what triggers the program to reactivate things… Soon as the 2nd one is run… my Ghostery button came back, my ad block… and all the the cookies that had gotten through erased.

Can’t speak to non Linux systems. Works here. 32B Linux FF 56.0.2

This is THE SOLUTION.

Or you can wait and wait and wait for a “trust chain” verified solution from moz… we are 8+ days and counting? You want to risk it that long on non Linux? I don’t even on Linux. I had to move to another browser till this solution came up, and no its not spyrome either.

Fix it, move on with life, and get back on track.

To all the others on V56 or less FOLLOW HEURSTICS POST! Save your self the grief, get your browser back. Move on… Don’t matter what OS Linux or non OS you are using don’t risk it with the garbage out there.

#376

I already have the solution here.
My extensions are working fine.
I just want to better understand how and when FF makes its checks.
Thanks anyway.

#377

I use a webpage: https://www.epochconverter.com/

2 Likes
#378

Yes, I’ve found that minutes ago. :+1:
Thx.

#379

I have imported this, followed by the two commands in the console from the other post.
As of now, my addons are back and I hope it stays this way.

Thank you for your effort and help!

#380

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1550793#module-attachments-title

:+1:

For anyone who might prefer an extension:

#381

Very good! :slightly_smiling_face:

#382

Jefferson,
Thank you so much for your post. That did the trick for me. Even tho’ the “studies” didn’t successfully install the updated certificate, following your instructions, it’s all good. I found the Mozilla cert which was not there previously.
FF did NOT disable after add-ons after 24 hours. So far, so good.
And I was able to install an update to an add-on which could not previously.

1 Like
#383

I installed the extension from the bugzilla attachment for my version (52-60)…my version is 56.0.2, and all add-ons are back up and running again! I had to restart Firefox to get them enabled after I installed the hotfix, but all is good now. I’ll report back if it doesn’t hold or if I notice any other issues, but for now looks like all is well. :slight_smile:

1 Like
#384

Affected users may wish to subscribe to this:

– I’m about to add a comment there …

#385

do this then once you do that you can add extensions again

#386

https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2019/05/04/update-regarding-add-ons-in-firefox/comment-page-1/

#387

FAIL: Certificate issue causing add-ons to be disabled or fail to install
and https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2019/05/04/update-regarding-add-ons-in-firefox/

Worst of it is firefox does not provide a way for the user to continue to use the supposedly bad add-ons turning this bug from bad to worse. There is no technical reason which would prevent these add-ons from working.

Hotfix is deployed through about:studies but after allowing studies it did not yet show up for me. Official quote: ‘It may take up to six hours for the Study to be applied to Firefox.’ What a hotfix lol.
The general fix is in the next version 66.0.4 but having to wait to get basic functionality back sucks.

Update: Fortunately it took only about 30 minutes for the study to be added after I enabled studies.
I don’t like that Firefox installs studies without informing you that a new study was installed, or even better: for privacy conscious people ask if they want to participate on a per-study basis (I would enable studies if it would be opt-in).
It also provides close to no information about the studies in about:studies (mozilla often offer blog posts with detailed information about their studies, which could be linked in about:studies).

[FIXED] Certificate issue causing add-ons to be disabled or fail to install