Firefox Sync

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Firefox Sync

Firefox-Sync-logo.png
Basic data

Maintainer Mozilla Foundation
developer Mozilla Foundation
Publishing year December 21, 2007
Current  version 1.8.0
( May 4, 2018 )
programming language python
category Web browser , data synchronization
License MPL
mozilla.org

Firefox Sync is a Web browser - synchronization service of the Mozilla Foundation . The service saves the personal administrative data of a web browser such as user settings, bookmarks , open tabs ( tabbed browsing ), browser history, saved passwords and configured add-ons on a server in a network. This allows a user to synchronize their settings between different devices such as desktop computers , tablet computers and smartphones .

history

The service was released as an experimental tool in December 2007 under the name Mozilla Weave . In 2010 the test operation was declared over and the official add-on for the Firefox web browser was presented. In the same step, it was renamed Firefox Sync . With version 4.0 of the browser, the client component of the service is integrated.

With the “Firefox Home” mobile app, the Mozilla Foundation also provided a Firefox Sync client for the iPhone and iPad, but this has not been available since August 3, 2012.

On April 29, 2014, the revised version Firefox Sync 1.5 was released. In Sync 1.5 the authentication was outsourced to a separate authentication service called "Firefox Accounts". This service is used for authentication with all Mozilla user services. The Firefox Sync Server only manages the user content to be synchronized.

The Firefox browser used Version 29, the new Sync version 1.5. Users who had set up the synchronization service before April 2014 can still use Firefox Sync 1.1 with Firefox 29 for a transitional period.

Use and criticism

According to the Mozilla Foundation, version Sync 1.1 of the service is used by around one percent of Firefox users.

The Mozilla Foundation itself identified a number of weaknesses for the outdated Sync 1.0 and 1.1 versions: the service setup was too complex, and the reliability and scalability lacking. Therefore, the service was completely revised under the project name PiCL (Profile in the Cloud) and released with version Sync 1.5 on April 29, 2014 together with version 29 of the Firefox browser .

Supported clients

The service can be used on the following platforms by the following web clients:

server

The Mozilla Foundation provides an authentication service , Firefox Accounts, and a server for the content to be synchronized. The terms of use available under apply. It is also possible to set up a private "sync server" and your own authentication service in a home network, intranet or on the Internet.

privacy

When using the synchronization service from Mozilla, their data protection regulations for user services are authoritative.

In order to use the service, the user must first set up a Firefox account with a valid email address and a password on the authentication service. With every session with a device for which Firefox Sync has been activated, the user logs in to the login service, which identifies and verifies the user with his or her email address and password. The authentication service logs the registration of the session, but never learns the user's password in clear text.

After logging in, the application generates a key on the user side with the help of the password for the encryption and decryption of all user data to be compared with the service. All devices registered with the same identity (e-mail address) use the same key. The confidentiality of the synchronized data is guaranteed by this encryption during transmission to the sync server and storage. Details of the protocol for all interactions between a user's devices and the Mozilla services are published here.

The occurrence of various metadata when communicating with the authentication service is problematic. This makes it possible to draw conclusions about the lifestyle and location of the respective user.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Release 1.8.0 . May 4, 2018 (accessed July 20, 2018).
  2. ↑ github.com .
  3. ↑ Mozilla Foundation: Keep your Firefox in sync . Website: www.mozilla.org. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  4. ↑ Chris Beard: introducing-weave . Website: blog.mozilla.org, December 21, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  5. ↑ jo (heise-online): [ https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Weave-Sync-wird-erwachsen-1013392.html Weave Sync is growing up ]. In Heise online , June 1, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  6. ↑ ragavan: Get Syncing with Firefox 4 . Website: blog.mozilla.org/services, March 22, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  7. ↑ Mozilla Wiki: Firefox Home for iPhone . Website: wiki.mozilla.org. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  8. ↑ mconnor: retiring firefox home . Website: blog.mozilla.org, August 31, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  9. ↑ a b mmayo: A Better Firefox Sync . Website: blog.mozilla.org/services, February 7, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  10. ^ A b Dan Callahan: Firefox Sync's New Security Model . Website: blog.mozilla.org/services, April 30, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  11. ^ A b Dan Callahan: Firefox Accounts Sync 1.5 and Self-Hosting . Website: blog.mozilla.org/services, May 7, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  12. ^ Mozilla Wiki: Identity / Firefox Accounts . Website: wiki.mozilla.org, May 7, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  13. ↑ Mozilla Services: Do not switch to the new sync version . Website: www.mozilla.org. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  14. ↑ a b Mozilla Wiki: Usability Sync Problems . Website: wiki.mozilla.org. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  15. ↑ Markus Weidner: Firefox Sync ... only works unreliably . In Teltarif.de , June 2, 2013. Accessed November 15, 2013.
  16. ^ Mozilla Wiki: User Services / Sync - Design & Development . Website: wiki.mozilla.org. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  17. ^ Mozilla Services: Mozilla's hosted accounts server . Website: accounts.firefox.com Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  18. ^ Mozilla Services: Firefox Online Services Terms of Use . Website: accounts.firefox.com March 26, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  19. ↑ Mozilla Services: Run your own Sync-1.5 Server . Website: docs.services.mozilla.com. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  20. ↑ github / mozilla documentation: Firefox Accounts / Sync Protocol . Website: github.com/mozilla/fxa-auth-server March 21, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.