File Download Behavior on Firefox
The File Download control is supported on Firefox, with limitations in how
downloads are enforced. On Chromium-based browsers, the Prisma Browser Extension
holds a download before it is written to the device and blocks it if a rule matches.
Firefox does not provide an equivalent pre-write download hold, so the Prisma Browser
Extension decides when the download starts and either allows it or cancels it. As a
result, hard blocking is not always possible: in some cases a file briefly reaches
the device and is then deleted.
How Enforcement Differs
- No pre-write hold - Firefox always starts the download. The Prisma
Browser Extension cancels the download when a rule matches, and removes the
file if it has already reached the device.
- File content scanning (malware and Data Leak Prevention) - The file
content is not scanned on Firefox. A rule that depends on content inspection
does not apply, and the download is kept.
- Renamed file - A file renamed to a different extension (for example,
an .exe saved as .txt) is not detected on
Firefox, because the file's contents are not read.
- File hash - A rule that matches on file hash does not block the
download on Firefox, because the file's contents are not read.
- File size - A rule that matches on file size detects and deletes the
file after the download completes, rather than blocking it beforehand. If the
file size never becomes known, the rule does not apply and the download is
kept.
- MIP label - A rule that matches on a MIP label cannot read the label
on Firefox. The condition is treated as matched, and the rule's other
conditions still apply.
- Silent blocks - On a direct-URL download or a tab with no page
content, the block is still enforced, but no notification is shown to the
user.
Guarantee a Hard Block for Downloads
Because Firefox does not generate an event that lets the Prisma Browser Extension
hold a download before it is written, hard blocking is not always possible. In
some cases, a file reaches the device briefly before being deleted.
To ensure a hard block—where a blocked file never reaches the device—configure
download blocking using the Firefox browser deployment policy. Firefox provides
a built-in enterprise policy for content analysis that blocks downloads before
any file content is written, which can be applied to all downloads or scoped to
specific sites.
To ensure a hard block for downloads on Firefox,
follow the
Block Downloads in Firefox deployment
guide. It provides step-by-step configuration, including the policy file,
supported platforms, minimum Firefox version, and rollout options (MDM, Group
Policy, or the extension's existing managed configuration).