[tor-bugs] #22910 [Applications/Tor Browser Sandbox]: Deprecate the volatile extension dir options (was: Deprecate the extra codecs/volatile extension dir options)

Sat Jul 15 04:54:59 UTC 2017

#22910: Deprecate the volatile extension dir options
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 Reporter:  yawning                           |          Owner:  yawning
     Type:  enhancement                       |         Status:  accepted
 Priority:  Medium                            |      Milestone:
Component:  Applications/Tor Browser Sandbox  |        Version:
 Severity:  Normal                            |     Resolution:
 Keywords:                                    |  Actual Points:
Parent ID:                                    |         Points:
 Reviewer:                                    |        Sponsor:
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Old description:

> Having massive "foot + gun" options in general is bad practice.
>
> The extra codecs will expose ffmpeg to the browser container, which is a
> concrete increase in attack surface for questionable gain (gstreamer is
> never allowed).
>
> The volatile extension dir gives firefox more write access than what
> anyone that's vaguely security conscious should be comfortable with, to
> critical browser components, and there's the ongoing `about:addons`
> fisasco.

New description:

 Having massive "foot + gun" options in general is bad practice.

 ~~~The extra codecs will expose ffmpeg to the browser container, which is
 a concrete increase in attack surface for questionable gain (gstreamer is
 never allowed).~~~

 The volatile extension dir gives firefox more write access than what
 anyone that's vaguely security conscious should be comfortable with, to
 critical browser components, and there's the ongoing `about:addons`
 fisasco.

--

Comment (by yawning):

 The extra codec deprecation is now #22933, and this ticket is fixed in
 master.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/22910#comment:4>
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