Mozilla has issued an urgent advisory urging all Firefox users to update to the latest version before a critical deadline. On March 14, 2025, a root certificate used by Mozilla to verify signed content and add-ons will expire. Without updating to Firefox version 128 or higher, or Extended Support Release (ESR) version 115.13+ for ESR users, issues with add-ons, content signing, and DRM-protected media playback may occur, affecting a wide range of users. The expiration of this root certificate is a serious concern, as it impacts essential functionalities in the browser, leaving users exposed to potential disruptions.
The update is essential for all users of Firefox versions prior to 128 or ESR versions prior to 115.13.
This includes Firefox installations on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. Mozilla’s update includes a new root certificate that ensures the authenticity and integrity of various features, including add-ons and digital media content. Without this update, the expiration of the root certificate will result in issues such as broken add-ons, disabled alerts about compromised passwords, and problems with secure media playback, all of which are critical to the Firefox browsing experience.
Root certificates serve as a mechanism to verify the legitimacy of trusted entities like Mozilla, ensuring that the software and add-ons users download and install are secure and properly vetted. If the root certificate expires, systems that rely on it cannot authenticate the authenticity of essential features, which may lead to several problems, including broken add-ons or interrupted DRM-protected media playback.
Additionally, users who do not update their Firefox installations risk outdated blocklists for harmful add-ons and SSL certificate revocation lists.
While Mozilla acknowledges that users could technically continue to use Firefox without updating, doing so may lead to a range of technical difficulties. For instance, add-ons may be disabled, DRM-protected media may not play correctly, and users will miss crucial security updates and performance improvements. Mozilla strongly recommends that users check their Firefox version by navigating to Menu > Settings > About Firefox to ensure they are running version 128 or later. This also includes Tor Browser users, as it is based on Firefox ESR. Importantly, iOS and iPad users are not affected by this particular issue.
