New security requirements won't let me connect to a hardware interface.
Our company provides access control solutions for industry. Configuring the bits of hardware requires connecting to them using a browser. Older versions of firefox used to give security warnings that I could override - I know the IP address is safe and I really, really need to connect to it.
The most recent version of firefox gives a sec_error_extension_value_invalid notice with no override option. I've therefore reverted back to V28 of firefox and disabled auto-updates. This is a less than ideal solution. Is there any way to override the security check in the current version of firefox?
I would add that even if our hardware supplier changed the interface to meet the security requirements, it wouldn't help me if I need to resolve problems for customers with older hardware.
All Replies (8)
Hello, seek security.use_mozillapkix_verification and toggle to false in about:config (note the value exist only in 31 and 32 firefox), any luck ?
thank you
A possibility is to use the Firefox 31.x.0 ESR version, so you will still get security updates until the next ESR version based upon Firefox 38. The next update Firefox 33 doesn't support the above mentioned pref to disable PKIX and it won't be possible to workaround this problem.
Thanks for the replies, but there is no point in kicking the can down the road. I need a solution that will work for at least the next 5 to 10 years.
Currently I'm thinking of updating firefox for web browsing, and reinstalling an old version of another browser for comms with hardware.
janefletcher_at_isys said :
Currently I'm thinking of updating firefox for web browsing, and reinstalling an old version of another browser for comms with hardware.
probably it is a correct decision, but exist a web browser which will not change such kind of parameters for the next 5 to 10 years ? :-):-):-)
thanks again
You may want to consider using Firefox Portable 31 for installation on your hard drive to use as your "comms with hardware" browser. Using Portable will jet you a 2nd version of Firefox without having to create another Firefox Profile for the 2nd version. Two "official" release versions would require a "dedicated" Profile for each.
http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox-portable-esr That will get you by for the next 42 weeks or so.
As far as the next 5 to 10 years - surely you jest - ;>) Are desktop devices going to be around then? Are all computers going to be touch & speech devices, with no keyboard? Or are we all going to be using wrist / glasses type computers? Yep, I am a "The Jetsons" fan, and old enough to have watched that TV show back in 1962 and 1963!
the-edmeister said:
As far as the next 5 to 10 years - surely you jest - ;>) Are desktop devices going to be around then? Are all computers going to be touch & speech devices, with no keyboard? Or are we all going to be using wrist / glasses type computers? Yep, I am a "The Jetsons" fan, and old enough to have watched that TV show back in 1962 and 1963!
+1 Ed, thank you
in questions that may be relevant and personal annotations/suggestions should be made by all contributors.This is something i would like to see it more often in our forum.
thanks
I'm thinking of installing IE 8 or 9 (if I can find it) and never letting it update, Then saving the setup files so I can reinstall it whenever I get a PC upgrade. Because the 5 to 10 years was no joke.
The hardware doesn't change as much as the PC or the browsers. Some of our customers are still using equipment we wired up to their doors over 15 years ago. If I get a complaint that Fred Bloggs can't get in or out, I have to configure a system to match their setup and work out why. To configure the test hardware, I connect it to our intranet and type the IP addy into a browser, which gets me to a basic html interface screen.
Security is not an issue - my PC is talking to an 8" by 8" lump of electronics sitting on my desk. I don't know if the manufacture will be updating the firmware on it to meet security standards, but even if they do, it won't help with our old customers.
Access controllers aren't the only electronic devices that are configured via a web browser. I suspect quite a few other people will be having similar issues.
janefletcher_at_isys said :
Because the 5 to 10 years was no joke. The hardware doesn't change as much as the PC or the browsers. Some of our customers are still using equipment we wired up to their doors over 15 years ago
You are clear and perfectly understandable, my brother-in-law works in industrial automation and yet in 2014 lots of factory owners cannot accept touch screens in the machines (!), they prefer switches and buttons !!!.
thanks