How can cookie settings be changed without user permission?
When I updated Firefox today to 59.0.1 my cookie settings were changed to "never accept." I had noticed before the update that I could not access daily motion but thought nothing of it (I switched to Youtube instead). My guess is that my cookie settings had changed before the Firefox update. Since I did not select this option, it must have been done without my knowing.
I have run a complete scan of my system and found nothing. Can cookie settings be changed in a Firefox browser without user permission?
All Replies (4)
What happens when you change the settings back?
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-to-fix-preferences-wont-save
Note: Some software, like Advanced SystemCare with Surfing Protection, can protect files in the Firefox profile folder against changes. If you have such software then check the settings or uninstall this software.
When I noticed the change in cookie settings, I changed the settings back as apparently required by Firefox for local storage via a message from Firefox that appeared when I updated to version 59.0.1
So far, the cookie settings have not changed. Having a confirmation from Firefox that local storage is required would be comforting.
I do not have such software.
Firefox 59+ allows extensions to modify cookie settings, so possibly one of your extensions changed it??
https://developer.mozilla.org/Add-ons/WebExtensions/API/privacy/websites
In order to do that, extensions need to request and be granted the "browserSettings" permission when you install them. When you see each long list of permissions in the little panel, I'm sure you don't memorize them!
Tracking down which extension is using that permission and therefore could be responsible for changing the setting is a little bit arduous. This is an area that definitely could use some improvement. What I think you might need to do is:
Type or paste the following into the address bar and press Enter to load it:
about:debugging
Under each extension that looks as though it might be related to cookies or privacy in some manner, you should see a little link that says "Manifest URL". That will load a code page which includes any permission declaration made by the extension. Some of these may be easier to read than others. For example:
NoScript:
"permissions": [
"contextMenus",
"privacy",
"storage",
"tabs",
"unlimitedStorage",
"webNavigation",
"webRequest",
"webRequestBlocking",
"<all_urls>"
],
Violentmonkey:
"permissions":["tabs","<all_urls>","webRequest","webRequestBlocking","notifications","storage","unlimitedStorage","clipboardWrite"],
curious12 said
When I noticed the change in cookie settings, I changed the settings back as apparently required by Firefox for local storage via a message from Firefox that appeared when I updated to version 59.0.1 So far, the cookie settings have not changed. Having a confirmation from Firefox that local storage is required would be comforting.
I think that message may have come from Firefox Sync. Another user mentioned being upset that they had to allow local storage in order to use Sync. Do you have Sync set up?