summaryrefslogtreecommitdiffstats
path: root/widget/windows/docs
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to 'widget/windows/docs')
-rw-r--r--widget/windows/docs/blocklist.rst358
-rw-r--r--widget/windows/docs/index.rst8
2 files changed, 366 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/widget/windows/docs/blocklist.rst b/widget/windows/docs/blocklist.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1b7a1a6764
--- /dev/null
+++ b/widget/windows/docs/blocklist.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,358 @@
+========================
+Windows DLL Blocklisting
+========================
+
+--------
+Overview
+--------
+
+There are many applications which interact with another application, which means
+they run their code as a DLL in a different process. This technique is used, for
+example, when an antivirus software tries to monitor/block navigation to a
+malicious website, or a screen reader tries to access UI parts. If such an
+application injects their code into Firefox, and if there is a bug in their code
+running in our firefox.exe, it will emerge as Firefox’s bug even though it’s
+not.
+
+Firefox for Windows has a feature to prevent DLLs from being loaded into our
+processes. If we are aware that a particular DLL causes a problem in our
+processes such as a crash or performance degradation, we can stop the problem by
+blocking the DLL from being loaded.
+
+This blocklist is about a third-party application which runs outside Firefox but
+interacts with Firefox. For add-ons, there is `a different process
+<https://extensionworkshop.com/documentation/publish/add-ons-blocking-process/>`_.
+
+This page explains how to request to block a DLL which you think we should block
+it as well as technical details about the feature.
+
+-----------------------
+Two types of blocklists
+-----------------------
+
+There are two types of blocklists in Firefox:
+
+1. A static blocklist that is compiled in to Firefox. This consists of DLLs
+ known to cause problems with Firefox, and this blocklist cannot be disabled
+ by the user. For more information and instructions on how to add a new DLL
+ to this list, see :ref:`Process for blocking a DLL in the static blocklist
+ <how-to-block-dll-in-static-blocklist>` below.
+2. A dynamic blocklist that users can use to block DLLs that are giving them
+ problems. This was added in
+ `bug 1744362 <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1744362>`_.
+
+The static blocklist has ways to specify if only certain versions of a DLL
+should be blocked, or only for certain Firefox processes, etc. The dynamic
+blocklist does not have this capability; if a DLL is on the list it will always
+be blocked.
+
+Regardless of which blocklist the DLL is on, if it meets the criteria for being
+blocked Firefox uses the same mechanism to block it. There are more details
+below in :ref:`How the blocklist blocks a DLL <how-the-blocklist-blocks-a-dll>`.
+
+.. _how-to-block-dll-in-static-blocklist:
+
+--------------------------------------------------
+Process for blocking a DLL in the static blocklist
+--------------------------------------------------
+
+But wait, should we really block it?
+------------------------------------
+
+Blocking a DLL with the static blocklist should be our last resort to fix a
+problem because doing it normally breaks functionality of an application which
+installed the DLL. If there is another option, we should always go for it.
+Sometimes we can safely bypass a third-party’s problem by changing our code even
+though its root cause is not on our side.
+
+When we decide to block it, we must be certain that the issue at hand is so
+great that it outweighs the user's choice to install the software, the utility
+it provides, and the vendor's freedom to distribute and control their software.
+
+How to request to block a DLL
+-----------------------------
+
+Our codebase has the file named
+`WindowsDllBlocklistDefs.in <https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/source/toolkit/xre/dllservices/mozglue/WindowsDllBlocklistDefs.in>`_ from which our build process generates DLL blocklists as C++ header files and compiles them. To block a new DLL, you create a patch to update WindowsDllBlocklistDefs.in and land it on our codebase, following our standard development process. Moreover, you need to fill out a form specific to the DLL blockling request so that reviewers can review the impact and risk as well as the patch itself.
+
+Here are the steps:
+
+1. File `a bug
+ <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi?format=__default__&bug_type=defect&product=Toolkit&component=Blocklist%20Policy%20Requests&op_sys=Windows&short_desc=DLL%20block%20request%3A%20%3CDLL%20name%3E&comment=Please%20go%20through%20https%3A%2F%2Fwiki.mozilla.org%2FBlocklisting%2FDLL%20before%20filing%20a%20new%20bug.>`_
+ if it does not exist.
+2. Answer all the questions in `this questionnaire
+ <https://msmania.github.io/assets/mozilla/third-party-modules/questionnaire.txt>`_,
+ and attach it to the bug as a plaintext.
+3. Make a patch and start a code review via Phabricator as usual.
+
+How to edit WindowsDllBlocklistDefs.in
+--------------------------------------
+
+WindowsDllBlocklistDefs.in defines several variables as a Python Array. When you
+add a new entry in the blocklists, you pick one of the variables and add an
+entry in the following syntax:
+
+Syntax
+******
+
+::
+
+ Variable += [
+ ...
+ # One-liner comment including a bug number
+ EntryType(Name, Version, Flags),
+ ...
+ ]
+
+Parameters
+**********
+
++-----------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| Parameter | Value |
++===========+================================================================================+
+| Variable | ALL_PROCESSES \| BROWSER_PROCESS \| CHILD_PROCESSES \| GMPLUGIN_PROCESSES \| |
+| | GPU_PROCESSES \| SOCKET_PROCESSES \| UTILITY_PROCESSES |
++-----------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| EntryType | DllBlocklistEntry \| A11yBlocklistEntry \| RedirectToNoOpEntryPoint |
++-----------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| Name | A case-insensitive string representing a DLL's filename to block |
++-----------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| Version | One of the following formats: |
+| | |
+| | - ALL_VERSIONS \| UNVERSIONED |
+| | - A tuple consisting of four digits |
+| | - A 32-bit integer representing a Unix timestamp with PETimeStamp |
++-----------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+| Flags | BLOCK_WIN8_AND_OLDER \| BLOCK_WIN7_AND_OLDER |
++-----------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+
+Variable
+********
+
+Choose one of the following predefined variables.
+
+- **ALL_PROCESSES**: DLLs defined here are blocked in BROWSER_PROCESS +
+ CHILD_PROCESSES
+- **BROWSER_PROCESS**: DLLs defined here are blocked in the browser process
+- **CHILD_PROCESSES**: DLLs defined here are blocked in non-browser processes
+- **GMPLUGIN_PROCESSES**: DLLs defined here are blocked in GMPlugin processes
+- **GPU_PROCESSES**: DLLs defined here are blocked in GPU processes
+- **SOCKET_PROCESSES**: DLLs defined here are blocked in socket processes
+- **UTILITY_PROCESSES**: DLLs defined here are blocked in utility processes
+
+EntryType
+*********
+Choose one of the following predefined EntryTypes.
+
+- **DllBlocklistEntry**: Use this EntryType unless your case matches the other
+ EntryTypes.
+- **A11yBlocklistEntry**: If you want to block a module only when it’s loaded by
+ an accessibility application such as a screen reader, you can use this
+ EntryType.
+- **RedirectToNoOpEntryPoint**: If a modules is injected via Import Directory
+ Table, adding the module as DllBlocklistEntry breaks process launch, meaning
+ DllBlocklistEntry is not an option. You can use RedirectToNoOpEntryPoint
+ instead.
+
+Name
+****
+A case-insensitive string representing a DLL's filename to block. Don’t include a directory name.
+
+Version
+*******
+
+A maximum version to be blocked. If you specify a value, a module with the
+specified version, older versions, and a module with no version are blocked.
+
+| If you want to block a module regardless of its version, use ALL_VERSIONS.
+| If you want to block a module with no version, use UNVERSIONED.
+
+
+To specify a version, you can use either of the following formats:
+
+- | A tuple consisting of four digits. This is compared to the version that is embedded in a DLL as a version resource.
+ | Example: (1, 2, 3, 4)
+- | A 32-bit integer representing a Unix timestamp with PETimeStamp. This is compared to an integer of IMAGE_FILE_HEADER::TimeDateStamp.
+ | Example: PETimeStamp(0x12345678)
+
+Flags
+*****
+
+If you know a problem happens only on older Windows versions, you can use one of
+the following flags to narrow down the affected platform.
+
+- BLOCK_WIN8_AND_OLDER
+- BLOCK_WIN7_AND_OLDER
+
+
+-----------------
+Technical details
+-----------------
+
+.. _how-the-blocklist-blocks-a-dll:
+
+How the blocklist blocks a DLL
+------------------------------
+
+Briefly speaking, we make ntdll!NtMapViewOfSection return
+``STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED`` if a given module is on the blocklist, thereby a
+third-party’s code, or even Firefox’s legitimate code, which tries to load a DLL
+in our processes in any way such as LoadLibrary API fails and receives an
+access-denied error.
+
+Cases where we should not block a module
+----------------------------------------
+
+As our blocklist works as explained above, there are the cases where we should not block a module.
+
+- | A module is loaded via `Import Directory Table <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/debug/pe-format#import-directory-table>`_
+ | Blocking this type of module blocks even a process from launching. You may be able to block this type of module with RedirectToNoOpEntryPoint.
+- | A module is loaded as a `Layered Service Provider <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/winsock/categorizing-layered-service-providers-and-applications>`_
+ | Blocking this type of module on Windows 8 or newer breaks networking. Blocking a LSP on Windows 7 is ok.
+
+(we used to have to avoid blocking modules loaded via a
+`Window hook <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/winmsg/hooks>`_ because blocking this type of
+module would cause repetitive attempts to load a module, resulting in slow performance
+like `Bug 1633718 <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1633718>`_, but this should be fixed
+as of `Bug 1823412 <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1823412>`_.)
+
+Third-party-module ping
+-----------------------
+
+We’re collecting the :ref:`third-party-module ping <third-party-modules-ping>`
+which captures a moment when a third-party module is loaded into the
+Browser/Tab/RDD process. As it’s asked in the request form, it’s important to
+check the third-party-module ping and see whether a module we want to block
+appears in the ping or not. If it appears, you may be able to know how a module
+is loaded by looking at a callstack in the ping.
+
+How to view callstacks in the ping
+**********************************
+
+1. You can run a query on BigQuery console or STMO. (BigQuery console is much
+ faster and can handle larger data.)
+
+ - BigQuery console (visit
+ `here <https://docs.telemetry.mozilla.org/cookbooks/bigquery.html#gcp-bigquery-console>`_
+ to request access): https://console.cloud.google.com/bigquery
+ - STMO: https://sql.telemetry.mozilla.org/
+
+2. Make your own query based on `this template
+ <https://msmania.github.io/assets/mozilla/third-party-modules/query-template.txt>`_.
+3. Run the query.
+4. Save the result as a JSON file.
+
+ - In BigQuery console, click [SAVE RESULTS] and choose [JSON (local file)].
+ - In STMO, click [...] at the right-top corner and select [Show API Key],
+ then you can download a JSON from a URL shown in the [Results in JSON format].
+
+5. | Go to https://msmania.github.io/assets/mozilla/third-party-modules/
+ | (A temporal link. Need to find a permanent place.)
+6. Click [Upload JSON] and select the file you saved at the step 4.
+7. Click a row in the table to view a callstack
+
+
+How to see the versions of a specific module in the ping
+********************************************************
+
+You can use `this template query
+<https://msmania.github.io/assets/mozilla/third-party-modules/query-groupby-template.txt>`_
+to query which versions of a specific module are captured in the ping. This
+tells the product versions which are actively used including the crashing
+versions and the working versions.
+
+You can also get the crashing versions by querying the crash reports or the
+Socorro table. Having two version lists, you can decide whether you can specify
+the Version parameter in a blocklist entry.
+
+Initialization
+--------------
+
+In order to have the most effective blocking of DLLs, the blocklist is
+initialized very early during browser startup. If the :ref:`launcher process
+<launcher-process>` is available, the steps are:
+
+- Launcher process loads dynamic blocklist from disk (see
+ `DynamicBlocklist::LoadFile()
+ <https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/search?q=DynamicBlocklist%3A%3ALoadFile&path=&case=false&regexp=false>`_)
+- Launcher process puts dynamic blocklist data in shared section (see
+ `SharedSection::AddBlocklist()
+ <https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/search?q=SharedSection%3A%3AAddBlocklist&path=&case=false&regexp=false>`_)
+- Launcher process creates the browser process in a suspended mode, sets up its
+ dynamic blocklist, then starts it. (see `LauncherMain()
+ <https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/search?q=LauncherMain&path=&case=false&regexp=false>`_)
+
+ - This is so (ideally) no DLLs can be injected before the blocklist is set up.
+
+If the launcher process is not available, a different blocklist is used, defined
+in `mozglue/WindowsDllBlocklist.cpp
+<https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/source/toolkit/xre/dllservices/mozglue/WindowsDllBlocklist.cpp>`_.
+This code does not currently support the dynamic blocklist. This is intended to
+only be used in testing and other non-deployed scenarios, so this shouldn't be
+a problem for users.
+
+Note that the mozglue blocklist also has a feature to block threads that start
+in ``LoadLibrary`` and variants. This code is currently only turned on in
+Nightly builds because it breaks some third-party DLP products.
+
+Dynamic blocklist file location
+-------------------------------
+
+Because the blocklist is loaded so early during startup, we don't have access to
+what profile is going to be loaded, so the blocklist file can't be stored there.
+Instead, by default the blocklist file is stored in the Windows user's roaming
+app data directory, specifically
+
+``<Roaming AppData directory>\Mozilla\Firefox\blocklist-<install hash>``
+
+Note that the install hash here is what is returned by `GetInstallHash()
+<https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/source/toolkit/mozapps/update/common/commonupdatedir.cpp#404>`_,
+and is suitable for uniquely identifying the particular Firefox installation
+that is running.
+
+On first launch, this location will be written to the registry, and can be
+overriden by setting that key to a different file location. The registry key is
+``HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla\Firefox\Launcher``, and the name is the
+full path to firefox.exe with "\|Blocklist" appended. This code is in
+`LauncherRegistryInfo
+<https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/source/toolkit/xre/LauncherRegistryInfo.cpp>`_.
+
+Adding to and removing from the dynamic blocklist
+-------------------------------------------------
+
+Users can add or remove DLLs from the dynamic blocklist by navigating to
+``about:third-party``, finding the entry for the DLL they are interested in, and
+clicking on the dash icon. They will then be prompted to restart the browser, as
+the change will only take effect after the browser restarts.
+
+Disabling the dynamic blocklist
+-------------------------------
+
+It is possible that users can get Firefox into a bad state by putting a DLL on
+the dynamic blocklist. One possibility is that the user blocks only one of a set
+of DLLs that interact, which could make Firefox behave in unpredictable ways or
+crash.
+
+By launching Firefox with ``--disableDynamicBlocklist``\, the dynamic blocklist
+will be loaded but not used to block DLLs. This lets the user go to
+``about:third-party`` and attempt to fix the problem by unblocking or blocking
+DLLs.
+
+Similarly, in safe mode the dynamic blocklist is also disabled.
+
+Enterprise policy
+-----------------
+
+The dynamic blocklist can be disabled by setting a registry key at
+``HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox`` with a name of
+DisableThirdPartyModuleBlocking and a DWORD value of 1. This will have the
+effect of not loading the dynamic blocklist, and no icons will show up in
+``about:third-party`` to allow blocking DLLs.
+
+-------
+Contact
+-------
+
+Any questions or feedback are welcome!
+
+**Matrix**: `#hardening <https://app.element.io/#/room/#hardening:mozilla.org>`_
diff --git a/widget/windows/docs/index.rst b/widget/windows/docs/index.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dc69035b3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/widget/windows/docs/index.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+==================
+Firefox on Windows
+==================
+
+.. toctree::
+ :maxdepth: 2
+
+ blocklist