Site Permission Add-ons

When you browse the web, Firefox protects you by isolating each website from your other tabs and the rest of your computer (we call this a “sandbox”). You don’t have to do anything special to get this kind of protection – it happens by default. Sites rarely have a good reason to access something outside of their sandbox, but there are occasional exceptions: for example, a site for musicians might want direct access to an audio synthesizer device plugged into your computer. Site permission add-ons are a special type of software that websites can ask you to install to modify Firefox’s default security behavior and give them extra privileges, such as unrestricted access to devices connected to your computer. These add-ons can be powerful, but like any other software installed on your computer, they can also be dangerous. There is no way to guarantee that sites are not abusing their extended access, which could include: *Causing physical damage or transmitting malware to your connected devices; *Making changes that are impossible to reverse; *Using the extra information they see to identify who you are (see [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-protection-against-fingerprinting fingerprinting]). If you’re considering whether to install a site permission add-on, we recommend asking yourself the following questions: *Do you trust the website? Unless you fully trust the source, avoid installing the site permissions add-on. (Keep in mind some malicious sites may mimic the look and feel of known, trustworthy brands.) *Are you sure you need what the site is offering? This may seem obvious, but it bears reinforcing—are the extended privileges offering you a clear benefit? These are just a few tips to help you assess the trustworthiness of site permissions add-on, but it is by no means a comprehensive guide. Please use your best judgment when considering any software that modifies Firefox’ default behavior. Once installed, site permission add-ons will appear in a separate pane in the add-ons manager, where you can [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/find-and-install-add-ons-add-features-to-firefox#w_viewing-and-managing-your-installed-add-ons view and manage them.]

When you browse the web, Firefox protects you by isolating each website from your other tabs and the rest of your computer (we call this a “sandbox”). You don’t have to do anything special to get this kind of protection – it happens by default.

Sites rarely have a good reason to access something outside of their sandbox, but there are occasional exceptions: for example, a site for musicians might want direct access to an audio synthesizer device plugged into your computer. Site permission add-ons are a special type of software that websites can ask you to install to modify Firefox’s default security behavior and give them extra privileges, such as unrestricted access to devices connected to your computer.

These add-ons can be powerful, but like any other software installed on your computer, they can also be dangerous. There is no way to guarantee that sites are not abusing their extended access, which could include:

• Causing physical damage or transmitting malware to your connected devices;
• Making changes that are impossible to reverse;
• Using the extra information they see to identify who you are (see fingerprinting).

If you’re considering whether to install a site permission add-on, we recommend asking yourself the following questions:

• Do you trust the website? Unless you fully trust the source, avoid installing the site permissions add-on. (Keep in mind some malicious sites may mimic the look and feel of known, trustworthy brands.)
• Are you sure you need what the site is offering? This may seem obvious, but it bears reinforcing—are the extended privileges offering you a clear benefit?

These are just a few tips to help you assess the trustworthiness of site permissions add-on, but it is by no means a comprehensive guide. Please use your best judgment when considering any software that modifies Firefox’ default behavior.

Once installed, site permission add-ons will appear in a separate pane in the add-ons manager, where you can view and manage them.