this post was submitted on 17 May 2024
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When I finally got tired of them crashing my browser at random times I took the time to stop them.
You can change the addresses that it uses to check for updates in the about:config. To be sure though I put all of those addresses and IP's in the hosts file to make sure there could be no contact. Now my firefox updates when I update my machine. Some of them may not be mozilla specific but all of them are blocked by me.
I got this list by using a squid proxy on a VM to log all addresses firefox connected to and watching the logs as firefox ran with no sites loaded over a two week period.
You can use the list below to search for keys in the about:config to change. Or you can just put these in your hosts file.
This is my list
127.0.0.1 safebrowsing.googleapis.com
127.0.0.1 push.services.mozilla.com
127.0.0.1 incoming.telemetry.mozilla.org
127.0.0.1 detectportal.firefox.com
127.0.0.1 img-getpocket.cdn.mozilla.net
127.0.0.1 region1.google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1 contile.services.mozilla.com
127.0.0.1 mozilla.cloudflare-dns.com
127.0.0.1 contile.services.mozilla.com
127.0.0.1 versioncheck-bg.addons.mozilla.org
127.0.0.1 content-signature-2.cdn.mozilla.net
127.0.0.1 helper1.dap.cloudflareresearch.com
127.0.0.1 dap-02.api.divviup.org
127.0.0.1 shavar.services.mozilla.com
127.0.0.1 aus5.mozilla.org
127.0.0.1 versioncheck.addons.mozilla.org
127.0.0.1 firefox.settings.services.mozilla.com
I think detectportal.firefox.com is used to detect if the current Wi-Fi connection requires the user to log in on a portal page, like the public Wi-Fi at airports or cafés. It redirects you to the log in page. Why would you block that?
Yeah I think so but I didn't care. I blocked them all since I don't have a portal at my house. The point was to block their access to my machine. My trust is at all time low for most of these companies.