Firefox users who run outdated versions of the web browser will run into troubles in March 2025 according to Mozilla.
The details:
- A certificate used by Mozilla for various services, including Firefox, will run out on March 14, 2025.
- Recent versions of Firefox are unaffected, as they include the new certificate.
- Old Firefox installations are affected. Issues include that add-ons will stop working and that DRM-content may refuse to play.
Firefox installations on all supported platforms but on iOS are affected, if they do not meet the following minimum versions:
- Firefox Stable 128 or higher.
- Firefox ESR 115.13 or higher.
Upgrading Firefox is the only way to prevent issues caused by the expiring root certificate.
Firefox users may select Menu > Help > About Firefox to run a check for updates. The browser should display the newest version automatically so that it can be downloaded and installed.
Firefox users who do not update the browser may run into several issues, according to Mozilla.
- Installed add-ons will be disabled.
- DRM-protected content, may fail to play “due to failed updates”.
- Features that rely on remote updates will stop working.
- Systems “dependent on content verification could stop functioning properly”.
Firefox will still run if it is not updated, but some functionality won’t be available anymore. Mozilla notes that outdated versions of Firefox may also have security issues that were fixed in newer versions.
Mozilla explains that the issue is caused by an expiring root certificate. Root certificates are used mainly for verification purposes. Expired certificates cannot be used anymore, which results in the issues.
Firefox users who run outdated versions should consider upgrading to a newer version that supports the new root certificate. (via Sören Hentzschel)
So users of the Firefox ESR branch versions 115.13+ are not affected by Mozilla’s new certificated planned for March 14, 2025; not concerned for the time being anyway.
Firefox 115 EST will come to and end-of-life of course but should a new Mozilla certificate be issued that would affect this branch that I’d switch to another browser that continues to handle Windows 7 … unless I move to Linux before. But in no case will I accept the idea of upgrading the OS for the sake of a browser, be it Firefox which I’ve been running since always. That the browser’s EOL imply end of security updates is one acceptable thing, that a certificate prevent using a browser is another. I’m starting to wonder sometimes what Mozilla really is.
What is Mozilla, truly? Off-topic but a word to express my surprise when AMO regularly displays ‘uBlock Origin’ when the ranking is that of updated extensions and when uBO has not been updated, perhaps because uBO is a leading add-on. But if it is indeed a leading add-on then why is its latest update, ver. 1.62.0, still not published when it’s been available for 5 (FIVE) days now on uBO’s GitHub repository? What’s the problem with Mozilla?
AMO always had issues with pushing updates of add-ons to users quickly, unfortunately.
Based on the lead developers’ recent statements, it appears Pale Moon will support Win7 for quite a few years to come: https://forum.palemoon.org/viewtopic.php?p=257745#p257745
How about going to firefox about:config page and set
xpinstall.signatures.required
xpinstall.whitelist.required
to “false”.