Now available for download on Firefox for Android mobile, Firefox, Opera and Chrome
HTTPS Everywhere: ruleset updating without extension updates
A new version of the HTTPS Everywhere browser extension introduces a new feature that separates ruleset updates from extension updates.
HTTPS Everywhere is a security extension that is available for Firefox, Chrome, Opera and the Tor Browser. The extension enforces HTTPS connections on sites that support it to improve security and privacy.
We reviewed the first version of the extension released in 2010, and have followed it ever since.
Once installed, it checks whether any site the browser connects to is on the extension's ruleset file. If it is, HTTPS is enforced for the site.
Previously, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, makers of HTTPS Everywhere, had to release a new version of the extension whenever it wanted to distribute a new ruleset file. Even if the extension itself did not change at all, it had to be updated to distribute the new ruleset to all installations.
The process was impracticable for a number of reasons: a new version has to be created and uploaded to extension stores, extensions have to pass validation, and updates reach users only if they have not disabled extension updates.
The new system separates extension updates from ruleset updates similarly to how content blocker handle updating content blocking lists.
HTTPS Everywhere checks for ruleset updates periodically and downloads them if updates are available. Rulesets are signed by the EFF and verified using the Web Crypto API to make sure that they are legitimate before they are updated in the browser.