1Password Browser Extension and Firefox 40.0.2

laugher

Hi. Not sure if this has been covered off yet but the 1Password extension for Firefox no longer works. While checking the 1Password browser extension was installed on Firefox under Addons -> Extensions, it looked as if it is installed but comes up with a warning;

"1Password could not be verified for use in Firefox. Proceed with caution."

Apart from this message, the extension is enabled as the Disable button is there on the right hand side of the Addons window.

However, when I looked at the Firefox information linked to the warning above, it states the following;

_Firefox protects you by allowing only digitally signed or verified add-ons to be installed on your browser. While Firefox currently has a blocklist system, it is increasingly difficult to track and block the growing number of malicious add-ons. The add-ons signing process requires developers to follow Mozilla Developer guidelines to ensure that their add-ons are safe.
_
What types of add-ons need to be signed?

_Extensions (add-ons that add features to Firefox) will need to be signed. Themes, language packs and plugins do not need to be signed. _

I can no longer see the 1Password icon on the Firefox toolbar. I have restarted the 1Password helper service and also tried to re-install 1Password. Nothing works. What should I do now?

FYI - 1Password browser extensions works fine in Google Chrome 44.0.2403.155. I no longer use Internet Explorer and Edge currently doesn't support browser extensions.

laugher

Just one added piece of information. I'm on 1Password for Windows version 4.6.0.585. Thanks.

littlebobbytables

Hi @laugher,

I recently learned that 1Password 4 for Windows can interact with both with both the older 1Password 3 Browser Extension as well as the newer 1Password 4 Browser Extension. Now the 1Password 3 Browser Extension was originally written with 1Password 3 for Mac in mind and is no longer under active development. Unfortunately Mozilla removed something called the widgets module in Firefox 40 that the older 1Password 3 Extension relied on.

If you're a 1Password 4 for Windows user then you can uninstall the old extension and follow the steps in Setting up browsers to install the newer version.

For more on this particular episode we have a page titled 1Password 3 extension missing in Firefox 40 or later. If you should have any follow up questions do please ask.

laugher

Thanks littlebobbytables. That did the trick. I'm surprised the installer for Windows doesn't automatically detect, prompt or remove the old extension(s) and install the new ones. Perhaps a feature for a future version?

One concern I do have - the 1Password browser extensions now appears to ask for the master password within the extension itself. I've taken a self-assumed best practice of always unlocking my 1Password database via the "Unlock on Secure Desktop" feature. In the past, it also unlocks any access to the 1Password database from the browser extension as well. Now, that seems to be broken. it is prompting me to re-enter the master password in the 1Password web browser extension itself despite the fact that I have already unlocked the desktop app via the Secure Desktop feature.

Is there a way to fix this given the inherently less secure context the browser extensions are running under?

laugher

Also, on dual-monitor setups where I have 2 LCDs with the desktop extended to the second display, the 1Password extension no longer re-positions itself into the one screen. The browser extension now shows one half of the extension on one screen and the other half on the other screen if the browser is on my left LCD. This did not happen in prior versions. If I move the web browser to the right LCD, it repositions correctly as the right boundary of the 2 LCD extended desktop display is on the right side LCD.

FYI, one change which occurred concurrently with the upgraded Firefox web browser and 1Password application was the upgrade to Windows 10.

Is this a bug for Windows 10, the browser extension or firefox? I started a few other firefox extensions just to test the others, Kaspersky Virtual Keyboard, for example, positions itself on the main desktop's top left hand corner so it always displays correctly. I assume the 1Password web browser extension can do something similar to avoid this multi-screen wrapping?

laugher

Ok. I've figured out that the checkbox for "Unlock on Secure Desktop" has been unchecked in 1Password preferences. That solved the issue with it requiring a separate master password to be re-entered in the extension. Thanks.

svondutch

I'm surprised the installer for Windows doesn't automatically detect, prompt or remove the old extension(s) and install the new ones.

@laugher It is not that easy. The installer is running in the context of user A and because it has been elevated to admin, it can install the binaries for all users. But it cannot update the extension for other users because the latter isolated in the other user accounts, not to mention there might be multiple web browser profiles per user. Last but not least, Chrome and Firefox do not allow our binaries to modify their manifests -- everything needs to happen from within their web browser connecting to their stores.

it is prompting me to re-enter the master password in the 1Password web browser extension itself despite the fact that I have already unlocked the desktop app

@laugher Is this thing on? File > Preferences (Ctrl+P) > Browsers > When unlocking the application, also unlock 1Password in the browser

laugher

Hi svondutch, "When unlocking the application, also unlock 1Password in the browser" was on. The only thing that wasn't on was "Unlock on Secure Desktop". I checked that last one and it fixed the web browser extension prompting me again. I didn't think it was related either but it worked. :)

As for browser extension installation in Firefox, understand where you are headed. Although, I'm curious as to understand how Kaspersky has been able to update their extensions in the "administrator" login context. Everytime I fire up their installer, it also updates the Firefox and Chrome extensions automagically without me having to worry about it. Their regular signature/scan engine updates doesn't touch the extensions of course (or it doesn't for me) and each new iteration of Firefox (they update their browser a lot) then flags their extensions as "unverifiable" but the fact remains, their extensions are updated as soon as the installation package is executed.

Might be worth looking into.

svondutch

Kaspersky has been able to update their extensions in the "administrator" login context. Everytime I fire up their installer, it also updates the Firefox and Chrome extensions automagically without me having to worry about it

@laugher Are you sure this is how Kaspersky is doing it? The extensions in Chrome and Firefox are designed to update themselves. Maybe it seems like the Kaspersky installer is updating them while in reality the extensions update themselves. Just a thought.

laugher

The Kaspersky extensions definitely do not update themselves. They do not have a place in the Mozilla addon/extensions library and they never update until I install the latest version because;

a) I get a new operating system
b) I have to reinstall a new browser (for whatever reason)
c) I update my internet security subscription with them in which case a new version (MSI installer) is provided to me

So yes, I'm sure they do not update on their own accord. In fact, last year, I had their extensions warned as "Out of date" by both Chrome and Firefox until I re-executed their installation binaries.

svondutch

@laugher Cool, thank you for confirming that. They must be doing something funky then. I prefer for us follow the Firefox and Google Store guidelines respectively. Thanks!