Site permissions don't persist as of Firefox 45

[Morac]

I've been having a problem since upgrading to Firefox 45 (32-bit) on Windows 7 where granted permissions on sites are not being persisted. I first noticed it with Java applets, but it's also affecting pop-up windows permissions as well. I used Process Monitor to track the reading and writing of the permissions.sql file and found that it isn't being read or written to in Firefox 45 or up. The only time the file is read or wrote to is the first two times after the Firefox version changes. After that it's never used. As such persisted permissions only work the first two times after the Firefox version changes. Then they stop working.

I went back to Firefox 44.0.2 and it works fine there.

I opened a bug report, but I wanted to draw attention to it and also see if anyone else can reproduce this problem.

[therube]

Not Java, but I manually changed other "permissions", Tools | Page Info -> Permissions, & / or Plugin status (like setting Flash to Ask, or Always) & from what I could see permissions.sqlite was being updated, permissions persisted after browser close/reopen.

FF 45 x86 (not necessarily an "upgrade" from FF 44, not sure where the particular Profile stemmed from?), Win7 x64.

Have you tried with a new, clean Profile?

[Morac]

Yes I've reproduced the problem on a clean profile.

I see the same problem with allowing notifications on gmail.com and other places. The setting is lost after I quit Firefox. Even if it is set in the permissions.sql, it's not read from it on start up.

As far as I can tell manual changes are ignored as well. Well not ignored, but discarded.

It will work a few times after switching between Firefox versions and then stop. I was trying to track down where the permissions.sql is read/written, but I didn't have a lot of luck. I even tried a debug Firefox build, but didn't see any errors.

[therube]

re: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1263209#c2

Actually, maybe its that the "popup" (slide down) prompt is not being respected, but "manual" changes made through Page Info are?
(Not sure how to get the "popup" to pop again - without deleting permissions.sqlite?)

[Morac]

re: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1263209#c2

Actually, maybe its that the "popup" (slide down) prompt is not being respected, but "manual" changes made through Page Info are?
(Not sure how to get the "popup" to pop again - without deleting permissions.sqlite?)

As I edited above, the pop up values are being saved for the life of the browser, but are lost since the permissions.sql file isn't updated.

As far as I can tell manual changes are also not persisting.

It may be possible a plugin is causing this problem. I could try running in SAFE mode, but as the problem started with Firefox 45 and doesn't exist in Firefox 44 I doubt that's the cause. I'll try it anyway.

[therube]

I will note, that with both FF 44 & 45, entries (well the one I looked at) get written twice - should that be meaningful.
Right side is the original, after answering the "popup" prompt.
Left side is after "manually" changing the permission from Page Info.

http://postimg.org/image/mlqrxdm9n/full/

I'm pretty sure the "original" entry never changes, but the second (top) entry does, as you change the permissions; Always Ask, Allow, Block.

[Morac]

I tried safe mode and it made no difference. I can't figure out how to disable all plugins, but really that shouldn't affect anything if I don't load a page with a plugin on it.

On a side note, if I create a brand new profile, I don't even get a permissions.sql file. It's never created and it's never updated.

[JayhawksRock]

Is there a permissions.sqlite file...

[therube]

Sure, that's what its all about.

[Morac]

Is there a permissions.sqlite file...

In what case? I've seen the problem regardless if the file exists or not.

As I've mentioned, the file isn't read or written to when Firefox 45+ is run normally. If I run a different version of Firefox (beta, dev or nightly), then the file will be read/written to the first time Firefox is run, but not subsequent times.

[therube]

Maybe its an "origins" issue.

Above when I said "entries (well the one I looked at) get written twice - should that be meaningful", its not actually (doubled).
There are two separate address listed.

Code: Select all

https://developer.mozilla.orgdesktop-notification
https://mdn.mozillademos.orgdesktop-notification

My eye was drawn to the end of the text part, "orgdesktop-notification", & I took that to mean that the entire "string" (address) was the same, but they are not. One gets written first, then if you go to Page Info & change from there, the second gets written.
(When I view permissions.sqlite in "text" mode instead of hex, that became apparent.)

(And of course I'm simply talking out my arse as I really have no idea just what is going on .)

Sites to test with:

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/doc ... ations_API

http://mdn.github.io/emogotchi/

http://jsfiddle.net/yoshi6jp/Umc9A/

I think jsfiddle.net is working properly?
Also note that you cannot open the "permissions drop down" on that page by clicking to the left of the URL (as you can with the other sites) so if you want to change the setting there, you have to go to Page Info. [Shortcut? Shortcut anywhere? Anywhere?]

(I also thought that it might have had to do with https: vs http:, but that does not seem to be the case.)

-------

(Oh, just rambling, & very probably not even correct, maybe even slightly backwards... anyhow...)

Code: Select all

to not have an entry in permissions.sqlite is (default)

=5 is an entry set at its default, Always Ask
 5 is an entry set to, Allow
 6 is an entry set to, Block

[therube]

Heh, I'm quitting while I'm ahead.

Different Profile, FF 44, gethub.io seemed to work, but mozilla & jsfiddle did not - until the changes were affected through Page Info.

Code: Select all

(as found in permissions.sqlite...)

http://jsfiddle.netdesktop-notification
https://developer.mozilla.orgdesktop-notification
http://fiddle.jshell.netdesktop-notification
http://mdn.github.iodesktop-notification
https://mdn.mozillademos.orgdesktop-notification

Initially what I did was to delete permissions.sqlite, then load the 3 sites & using the popup (drop down) set all 3 to Block.
Immediately checked the "permissions" popup (drop down) [all 3 worked, by the way] & mozilla & fiddle said no permissions were set.
Github did show Block.
Quit.
Restarted & check again with same result.
Then went into Page Info, & affected the Block from there, for both mozilla & fiddle.
Immediately check the "permissions" popup (drop down), & at that point, all 3 said, Block.
Quit.
Restarted & check again with same result, all Block.

Likewise, checking permissions.sqlite at that point, the address shown are listed as above.
Two (different) ones for mozilla & fiddle.
Only the single entry for github.

[therube]

I'll note...

On my end, creation a new Profile includes the creation of a permissions.sqlite, so I'm not understanding "On a newly created profile, the permissions.sql file isn't even created".

(Also, you've stated "permissions.sql" rather then "permissions.sqlite". I take it that you're meaning the latter.)

[therube]

entries get written twice

Code: Select all

http://jsfiddle.netdesktop-notification
http://fiddle.jshell.netdesktop-notification

If we start fresh, & visit jsfiddle...

Load http://jsfiddle.net/yoshi6jp/Umc9A/
Click the 'Request Permissions' button
Select 'Always Block Notifcations' from the dropdown dialog

At that point, note that the affected address is, http://fiddle.jshell.netdesktop-notification (& is so stated in the dropdown that you just selected).

Click the (whatever you want to call it) to the left of the URL.
It states (correctly, presumably) "You have not granted this site any special permissions".

And that is correct.
Because "this site" is "jsfiddle.net" & not "jshell.net" - which is where the permission that you did grant, from the dropdown, dealt with.

Likewise, when you go to Page Info, you are again dealing with "this site", which is again jsfiddle.net & not "jshell.net".

So the "request" (if you will) comes from one address, & in this case, once it is written, there is no way to alter it.

When you use Page Info, you are "on the page" & so from the GUI, you can affect Permission changes for "this page", but "this page" is now different from the prompt you responded to initially.

[therube]

In the case of github.io, both the request address & "this page" are the same, "mdn.github.io".