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What is Funnelcake Campaign Retention and how did it get installed?

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  • 3 have this problem
  • 59 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

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Hello,

I set up a new computer for my aunt about January 2017. I installed Firefox for her like I always do when setting up computers around here. A day ago, I was looking over her computer when I saw something very strange under "About Mozilla Firefox":

Funnelcake Campaign Retention Q4 2016 - control

mozilla97 - 1.0

I find this alarming -- this doesn't look like the normal version of Firefox. What is this? This has never shown up on any other computer I've installed Firefox on.

I made very certain to go to the official Firefox/Mozilla web page, and would've used the same download link everyone else uses for the release version of Firefox. I think it's likely I would've noticed this on the "About Mozilla Firefox" screen, if it had said that before when I first set up her computer. My aunt checks for regular security updates in the program and installs them the way I showed her, but there's no way she could've changed versions on her own.

1. What does that funnelcake text mean? Is this some special version of Firefox?

2. Is this a safe/secure/legimate copy of Firefox?

3. How could it have gotten installed?

4. Is there any chance this is a modified version of Firefox used by a hacker to gather personal data or something?

I appreciate any assistance you can give me.

Hello, I set up a new computer for my aunt about January 2017. I installed Firefox for her like I always do when setting up computers around here. A day ago, I was looking over her computer when I saw something very strange under "About Mozilla Firefox": Funnelcake Campaign Retention Q4 2016 - control mozilla97 - 1.0 I find this alarming -- this doesn't look like the normal version of Firefox. What is this? This has never shown up on any other computer I've installed Firefox on. I made very certain to go to the official Firefox/Mozilla web page, and would've used the same download link everyone else uses for the release version of Firefox. I think it's likely I would've noticed this on the "About Mozilla Firefox" screen, if it had said that before when I first set up her computer. My aunt checks for regular security updates in the program and installs them the way I showed her, but there's no way she could've changed versions on her own. 1. What does that funnelcake text mean? Is this some special version of Firefox? 2. Is this a safe/secure/legimate copy of Firefox? 3. How could it have gotten installed? 4. Is there any chance this is a modified version of Firefox used by a hacker to gather personal data or something? I appreciate any assistance you can give me.
Attached screenshots

Modified by firefoxninja

Chosen solution

Hi

Funnelcake builds are an experiment offered as a special Firefox version to (new) users for testing the user experience.

You can do a clean reinstall of the current Firefox version to get the regular release.

You can find the full version of the current Firefox release (54.0.1) in all languages and all operating systems here:

You can uninstall your current Firefox version to cleanup the Windows Registry.

  • do NOT remove "personal data" when you uninstall the current Firefox version, because this will remove all profile folders and you lose personal data like bookmarks and passwords including data in profiles created by other Firefox versions

Remove the Firefox program folder before installing that newly downloaded copy of the Firefox installer.

  • (64 bit Firefox) "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\"
  • (32 bit Firefox) "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\"

Your personal data like bookmarks is stored in the Firefox profile folder, so you won't lose personal data when you uninstall and reinstall or update Firefox, but make sure NOT to remove personal data when you uninstall Firefox as that will remove all Firefox profile folders and you lose your personal data.

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Chosen Solution

Hi

Funnelcake builds are an experiment offered as a special Firefox version to (new) users for testing the user experience.

You can do a clean reinstall of the current Firefox version to get the regular release.

You can find the full version of the current Firefox release (54.0.1) in all languages and all operating systems here:

You can uninstall your current Firefox version to cleanup the Windows Registry.

  • do NOT remove "personal data" when you uninstall the current Firefox version, because this will remove all profile folders and you lose personal data like bookmarks and passwords including data in profiles created by other Firefox versions

Remove the Firefox program folder before installing that newly downloaded copy of the Firefox installer.

  • (64 bit Firefox) "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\"
  • (32 bit Firefox) "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\"

Your personal data like bookmarks is stored in the Firefox profile folder, so you won't lose personal data when you uninstall and reinstall or update Firefox, but make sure NOT to remove personal data when you uninstall Firefox as that will remove all Firefox profile folders and you lose your personal data.

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Hello,

Thank you so much for the quick reply. So this funnelcake build isn't malware or anything. Whew, that's a relief!

I'm still wondering how it got installed. Based on what I remember doing and what you've told me, I'm guessing I just installed Firefox like I usually do back in January, but was automatically provided the funnelcake build because the computer was seen as a new user at the time. Does this sound right?

Thanks for telling me how to switch to the regular release. Is there any harm in just leaving the funnelcake build installed?

I'm curious, what does a funnelcake version do basically that regular Firefox doesn't?

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I don't know what funnelcake experiments are currently active?

Do you see any mentions of experiments on the Help -> Troubleshooting Information page?

Did you remember whether you got a dialog to participate in an experiment when you installed Firefox?

Note that is is likely that some data will be send to the Mozilla server when such a experiment is active.

You can also check if you see anything special under the Data Choices or on the about:healthreport page.

  • Options/Preferences -> Advanced -> Data Choices
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For Troubleshooting Information there's nothing under Experimental Features. I guess I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for? I searched the page for "experiment", "funnelcake", "mozilla97".

EGL_ANGLE_experimental_present_path (under WebGL 1 driver) EGL_ANGLE_experimental_present_path (under WebGL 2 driver)

Important Modified Preferences: browser.cache.frecency_experiment: 2

I saw this: Update Channel: release-cck-mozilla97

When I installed Firefox, I'm pretty sure I didn't see a dialog asking if I wanted to participate in an experiment. I may have just installed Firefox with all the default installation options, instead of choosing "custom install" or something like that, where you go through every option one at a time. If this kind of thing can appear a few days after install, my aunt might have accidentally clicked a popup or something, I suppose.

I attached screenshots of about:healthreport and data choices.

I really appreciate the help.

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It looks that you once got this Firefox version offered:

Related bug report:

  • bug 1323022 - Funnelcake 95/96/97 - 50.1.0 retention experiment for advertising sources

(please do not comment in bug reports
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=etiquette.html
)