This week Mozilla has started signing Firefox extensions , a move that should prevent adware, toolbars and other unwanted extensions to end up in the browser. Starting this summer Firefox will no longer support unsigned extensions. From then on, only signed extensions offered on addons.mozilla.org will be accepted and it will no longer be possible to install addons from other sources.
To ensure extension developers are ready for the new requirement, Mozilla has started signing extensions. These signed extensions will soon be enrolled using the automatic update feature of the browser. Extensions are signed in batches and Mozilla calls for developers to test their signed extensions in the current version of Firefox but also in Developer and Nightly builds. The last two versions warn for unsigned extensions already.
Mozilla will also activate two new features on addons.mozilla.org, signing of new add-on versions after they are reviewed, and add-on submission for developers who wish to have their add-ons signed but don’t want them listed on AMO.
"When this is done, all extension developers will be able to have their extensions signed, with enough time to update their users before signing becomes a requirement in release versions of Firefox", according to Mozilla's Jorge Villalobos.
