Mozilla announces it will ban Firefox add-ons with obfuscated code

Mozilla updated its add-on policies to explicitly prohibit extensions with obfuscated code. This policy will take effect on June 10th, and add-on developers will need to update the add-on within a month to avoid violating the expansion policy. Mozilla said the move would help deal with malicious add-on better. Obfuscated code is often used by hackers to hide the real purpose of a program.

Mozilla stated in the new add-on policies that extensions do not allow code that contains obfuscated code or hides related functional purposes. Mozilla wrote,

“All add-ons are subject to these policies, regardless of how they are distributed. When an add-on is given human review or otherwise assessed by Mozilla, these policies act as guiding principles for those reviews. Add-ons that do not comply with these policies may be rejected or disabled by Mozilla. Therefore, follow these policies when making add-on design and development decisions.”