[samsonite18]

Hello,

Ever since I updated to Firefox 67, I've noticed firefox.exe constantly connects to IP addresses such as:
x.us-west-2.compute.amazonaws.com

Even if I block that particular IP address, firefox.exe finds another similar address, and continues to connect over and over again. It won't stop. I've ruled out viruses and my operating system, so I know it's coming from firefox.
It even continues to connect while browsing a blank page with no user activity.

How can I find out what's causing firefox to connect to these addresses so persistently? Thanks.

 

[Stancestans]

Hi. Welcome to TSF. First off, understanding is the key to figuring out whether you have a problem that needs to be fixed or just some unblissful discovery. So, what is Amazon AWS? I'm too lazy right now to get into it all, so I'll just link to some other sources that will get you started on understanding it all. You will encounter new terms like "cloud computing" and "content delivery network" (CDN), so look into those as well. See:

https://www.plixer.com/blog/network-monitoring/computer-connecting-to-amazonaws-com/

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/606622/data-theft-by-amazon-server-amazonaws/

After you think you've grasped the whole idea behind Amazon AWS, ask yourself, could it be that Mozilla Foundation is also a client of Amazon AWS, and their project, Firefox, is now making use of those services like other products and services are doing, such as Netflix? How exactly is Firefox using those services? I don't know specifically how, but the economics of doing so makes sense, don't you think? For example, by default, Firefox is set to submit crash reports and to also automatically check for and install updates. It may also be collecting telemetry data. If you have a Firefox account like me and you use it to sync data and add-ons across multiple devices, Mozilla Foundation could be using Amazon AWS for that too. With millions of people using Firefox, it is a lot of data to process, so why not take advantage of a cloud computing service provider for that, such as Amazon AWS, instead of setting up your own servers to handle that workload?

 

[samsonite18]

- I have disabled all telemetry parameters in about:config.
- I have no sync accounts. I don't login to anything.
- I have turned off crash reports, experiments, tests, pings, or anything else that sends info to Firefox.
- I have turn off auto updates for Firefox and any installed extensions.

Again, this is something new. Firefox didn't behave like this before. I updated to the latest version of Firefox, so it's still using my old config settings. Whatever I disabled should still be there. My browser shouldn't be connecting to anything while browsing a blank page. Thanks.