You can find the plugin path of all plugins on the about:plugins page. So you can check the properties of that file to see what version it is. We have seen in the past occasions where the version number of the VLC plugin hasn't been changed by VideoLAN to match the current release.

Otherwise this might be a problem with the pluginreg.dat file in the Firefox profile folder.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox

Found the VLC file Firefox evidently looks at and it still shows the 2.1.3.0 version. My registry shows it as 2.1.5.0. Per some older VLC FAQ's I found they have done this before if no there's functional change. Wonder why changing the version number is so hard.  :(

Not entirely sure if my problem is addressed here, looks like it isn't. Plugin check showed it was 2.1.3 and not up to date, but rather required updating to 2.1.5. I had 2.1.5 VLC installed, but uninstalled it, downloaded the latest 2.1.5 and installed it (again) after a computer restart. About:Plugins still shows 2.1.3 and when checking, firefox still shows I need to update my VLC plugin.

As much as VLC have denied that it is their problem ( see here ), the truth is that it is. As others have mentioned above, the file that firefox reads still has 2.1.3.0 as the file version. To fix this issue do the following:

1. go to this website and download and install the program.
2. go to the vlc folder in your program files and find npvlc.dll.
3. right click and select "open using resource hacker".
4. inside resource hacker, go to version info and anywhere where it says 2.1.3.0, change it to 2.1.5.0.
5. Click compile script and then go file>save as. You will have to save the file in a different location and then move it into the VLC folder manually.
6. Open firefox and goto help>troubleshooting information. Click the show folder button.
7. find pluginreg.dat and delete it.
8. restart firefox.

If you do what it says above, your problem should be solved. What this process does is it firstly changes the file version of the VLC file to 2.1.5.0 and then forces firefox to re-scan for plugins. If you go to the plugins menu in the addons manager, it should be listed as VLC Web Plugin 2.1.5.0. Please fell free to uninstall resource hacker after this if you want. Hope I helped :D

@Quinto303 -- followed your steps, step by step. Had to go through it 3 times as I missed some of the needed changes in the headers of the resource file (at the top of the text, like: 1,3,0,0 change to 1,5,0,0 or whatever similar number: keep it the same / or true to the version). And then I forgot the step to delete the pluginreg.dat file from my user folder (each FF user profile create a folder with a name made up pretty random numbers and letters). Needed to remember to close FireFox and then delete the file mentioned. Each time you restart, FF will either read, or if not found, re-create that file in that location. Re-creating it allows FF to read any changes.

Here's hoping that all of this doesn't just allow unthinking use of a file that actually vulnerable! Making the changes above successfully -only- changes whether you see the warning that the plugin is out of date, it can still be used anyway, or if it seems in date because of the changes above, then it could still be vulnerable (that's why we have warnings) if it was not updated when VLan came out with a more recent version....

@Quintox303 - Thanks for the step-by-step. Very useful.