Firefox has not stated how long this support will continue, but as long as there are powerful add-ons enhancing user privacy and security, Mozilla should continue to have strong reasons to extend support for Manifest V2. The latest announcement renews this promise, maintaining Firefox as one of the few web browsers in the landscape to give users the freedom to continue using Manifest V2 add-ons. Mozilla has renewed its promise to continue supporting Manifest V2 extensions alongside Manifest V3, giving users the freedom to use the extensions they want in their browser. Manifest V3 is a Google-developed browser extension specification aimed at making add-on functionality in web browsers safer by restricting overly permissive network requests and remote content loading. As Manifest V3 enforcement is rolling out, extensions not compatible with it are being disabled from people's browsers, depriving users of the choice of functionality over risk. Although Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari have all adopted MV3, they have done so with their own implementation modifications, allowing users greater freedom while still benefiting from the security enhancements. Still, support for MV2 is the only way to go for older add-ons, and Firefox reiterated via an announcement today that it will continue to support it in the foreseeable future. Specifically, the internet company said it would continue to support both the 'blockingWebRequest' and 'declarativeNetRequest' APIs, corresponding to MV3 and MV2, respectively, allowing extensions like uBlock Origin to continue working as usual. "While some browsers are phasing out Manifest V2 entirely, Firefox is keeping it alongside Manifest V3," said Mozilla. Despite the intentions, Manifest V3 places restrictions on certain types of add-ons, like ad-blockers, that can render them less effective. Bill Toulas Bill Toulas is a tech writer and infosec news reporter with over a decade of experience working on various online publications, covering open-source, Linux, malware, data breach incidents, and hacks.
This Cyber News was published on www.bleepingcomputer.com. Publication date: Tue, 25 Feb 2025 20:30:19 +0000