Bug 797724 - firefox-redhat-default-prefs.js gets ignored (useragent)
Summary: firefox-redhat-default-prefs.js gets ignored (useragent)
Keywords:
Status: CLOSED WONTFIX
Alias: None
Product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Classification: Red Hat
Component: firefox
Version: 6.2
Hardware: All
OS: Linux
unspecified
low
Target Milestone: rc
: ---
Assignee: Red Hat Gecko Maintainer
QA Contact: Desktop QE
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2012-02-27 06:34 UTC by JohnStanley
Modified: 2012-06-21 15:35 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed: 2012-06-21 14:50:34 UTC
Target Upstream Version:


Attachments (Terms of Use)

Description JohnStanley 2012-02-27 06:34:25 UTC
Description of problem:

useragent strings get ignored.
What comes up when the browser makes a web request is:
"Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:10.0.1) Gecko/20120226 Firefox/10.0.1"

What it used to be is:
Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux x86_64; en-US; rv:1.9.2.24) Gecko/20111109 Red Hat/3.6-3.el5 Firefox/3.6.24

general.useragent.override can be used to change this behavior but it changes the whole string. So if that is used it would have to be used as:

pref("general.useragent.vendor", "Mozilla/5.0 (X11; MyOSName Linux x86_64; rv:10.0.1) Gecko/20120226 Firefox/10.0.1\");

It appears this is the only preference way of changing this instead of the hardcoded way in the source.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):

firefox-10.0.1-1.el6

How reproducible:

Change the default preferences or use them as is and rebuild srpm then install. Hit http://localhost then tail /var/log/httpd/access_log

Additional info:

The Gecko prefs seem to be fine with the correct build date.

There seems to be mixed decisions and feelings on changing this string among the mozilla developers. Security reasons the highest and spoofing.

Many Linux admins depend on "MyOSName" in apaches access_log to determine the visiting OS name of the Enterprise Linux OS Flavor for statistical data. So now all we know is the visitor is running Linux which is good but what OS?

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=572650
http://hacks.mozilla.org/2010/09/final-user-agent-string-for-firefox-4/
https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Gecko_user_agent_string_reference
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=591573
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=647090

Comment 2 RHEL Program Management 2012-05-03 05:33:47 UTC
Since RHEL 6.3 External Beta has begun, and this bug remains
unresolved, it has been rejected as it is not proposed as
exception or blocker.

Red Hat invites you to ask your support representative to
propose this request, if appropriate and relevant, in the
next release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Comment 3 Martin Stransky 2012-06-21 14:50:34 UTC
Yes, it's because we want to minimize browser fingerprint, so the OS has been removed.

Comment 4 JohnStanley 2012-06-21 15:35:05 UTC
(In reply to comment #3)
> Yes, it's because we want to minimize browser fingerprint, so the OS has
> been removed.

Ok, it's a done deal then.


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