"Your Firefox is critically out of date." How can the evidence for this claim be *conveniently* studied?
Periodically, I see a message bar at the top of the Firefox browser window, with a heart icon followed by the text "Your Firefox is critically out of date. An update is required to stay secure.", followed by a button with the text "Update Now", followed by a hyperlink-like item with the text "Learn More".
The two assertions made in the message strongly suggest, in a common sense reading, that Mozilla is aware of evidence that the browser application being used is *critically* out of date, and that there is a reasonable belief that a known specific flaw in that version of the application could be exploited, making the application insecure.
I think it is reasonable to assume, in the context of this message bar, that the "Learn more" link would explain the nature of the critical security flaws in the current version -- but, instead, the link navigates to a page about a data collection initiative by Mozilla (which itself, ironically, represents some insecurity for the user's privacy, in my opinion).
So, I am left wondering two things: (1) Does the message really indicate that critical security issues have been identified with the version of the application the user is currently running? (2) How can the user *conveniently* view information about those issues before deciding whether updating is justified for their circumstances?
All Replies (8)
Hi, no Firefox does not give hearts out nor say critical update.
Please use more than 1 scanner as each uses diff tech :
Save your Report and google each before deleting anything as do not want to delete something you need, If need help :
Post in only 1 forum, then wait.
Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.
an0n said
Periodically, I see a message bar at the top of the Firefox browser window, with a heart icon followed by the text "Your Firefox is critically out of date. An update is required to stay secure.", followed by a button with the text "Update Now", followed by a hyperlink-like item with the text "Learn More".
You are getting a upgrade prompt by way of heartbeat. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/contributors/712991
Note the legacy Firefox 52 ESR users (52.9.0esr) should not be getting this however if you are using the old 52.0.2 Release and not the 52.9.0esr then that may explain why you go the prompt.
Firefox 53.0 and later Releases for Windows requires Windows 7, 8 (8.1), 10 to run. Besides updating to Windows 7 or later the other option is to use a light Linux distro that still supports the ancient 32-bit CPU's.
Firefox 52.9.0esr out on May 26 was the last major update for the legacy 52 ESR and it will be made EOL on Sept 5th (with no more updates after) when only 62.0 Release and 60.2.0esr are Released.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/end-support-windows-xp-and-vista
an0n said
Periodically, I see a message bar at the top of the Firefox browser window, with a heart icon followed by the text "Your Firefox is critically out of date. An update is required to stay secure.", followed by a button with the text "Update Now", followed by a hyperlink-like item with the text "Learn More".
Yes that is a message that appear in Firefox.
You posted here with Firefox 52, which is out of date. The Firefox 52 ESR (Extended Support Release) has gotten updates and is currently up to date. But on Sept 5th the 52 ESR version reaches end of life and will then be outdated.
Overall, with running WinXP, as used to post here, you're using an end of life operating system where Firefox 52 ESR is the last compatible version. No further Firefox updates will be available. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/end-support-windows-xp-and-vista
This could be a Heartbeat related message that is used to warn people that run a no longer supported browser (Firefox 52 ESR has received its latest update with 52.9.0).
See also:
- [/forums/contributors/713093] Firefox Self-Heal through Heartbeat
Out of date message:
Modified by cor-el
Hi, sorry about that. I had not heard of that before.
Thank you for the feedback, guys!
I indeed posted my question here using an ancient version of Firefox (52.5.3 ESR) for Windows XP SP3 in a virtual machine, but I was actually asking about an experience I had today with an instance of Firefox 58.0.? I was running in 64-bit Windows 7 -- where a message bar similar to the attached image appeared (see below). I apologize for the confusion caused by the way I posted the question.
The message about being "critically out of date" was about version 58.0.? (late January 2018, early February 2018) compared to the current version 61.0.1 (July 5, 2018).
Glancing at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox_version_history does reveal some security-related fixes between my old 58.0.? version and the current stable 61.0.1 version. But "critical" security flaws?
I realize that "critical" is in the eye of the paranoid beholder, and that erring on the side of caution benefits the masses who might very well accept silent background updates anyway. But, I think if the message is going to claim "critical", then there should be some reasonable, good-faith belief that the risk of exploit is high -- and I'm just wondering, in this question, whether that is actually the criterion for that message appearing. My concern is for the sense of integrity of that message.
I am also hopeful that the "Learn More" link help the user actually learn more about the "critically out of date" claim, and not about some generic application feedback collection effort.
This is a good thing to know about if care what is fixed, improved, security in each update : https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/releases/
To get exact info on your version you need to go to Help --> About which will provide that but also update you.