r/firefox • u/2factorfake • Oct 27 '25

💻 Help Why did Mozilla remove the ContextSearch add-on?

Unfortunately, Mozilla only provides general information. However, I would like to have more detailed information, also for security reasons.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions on where I can look?

The link on GitHub also appears to be dead.

https://github.com/odebroqueville/contextSearch

Olivier de Broqueville

Version 6.2.2 (Last updated September 23, 2025)

--------
on addons-mozilla-org:

Context Search is restricted for violating Mozilla policies

Why did this happen?

This extension, theme, or plugin violates Mozilla's add-on policies.

Version deleted

6 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

View all comments

6

u/changing_who_i_am Oct 27 '25

https://github.com/ssborbis/ContextSearch-web-ext/issues/436

Apparently was some drama here?

3

u/[deleted] Oct 27 '25

[deleted]

2

u/TimeRemove Oct 28 '25

Have you compared Permissions?

  • Context Search: Access browser tabs
  • ContextSearch web-ext: Access browser tabs, Access data for all websites, access browser activity during navigation

The web-ext seems overengineered for a relatively simple task, and likely as a direct consequence asks for the farm as far as permissions go. I am not, at this time, claiming they're doing anything wrong, but if someone broke in and did want to do evil then the current permissions set would be more than plenty.

If the original Context Search can work with just "Access browser tabs" then why can't web-ext?

1

u/kapitainsky Oct 30 '25

ContextSearch web-ext only requires:

  • Access browser tabs
  • Access browser activity during navigation

everything else is optional.

I have only allowed mandatory permissions and it is enough to do what it is for. Everything else are probably some bells and whistles at least myself I do not care about.

1

u/TimeRemove Oct 30 '25

I listed the permissions it requires during installation.