A question on compartmentalization

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#1

I will start using different browsers for different purposes, and I would like to stay away from Chromium-based ones since I don’t like their aesthetic and I feel they are inferior in terms of customization. I know that all of the Firefox forks are based on all versions of it and that all of them have way less updates so they could bring security issues. My question is, could it be some kind of risk if I use them for really specific and normal websites? Waterfox/Librewolf for Duolingo, Lichess and The Odin Project and Palemoon/GNU Icecat for Invidious, browsing Reddit without an account, and watching Netflix?

I will use FF as my main browser where I’ll do the daily browsing and entering websites that I don’t know etc, I’ll still use them with all the hardened configurations and add-ons.

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#2

It might be easier to use Firefox Multi Account Containers:

This extension allows you to load your bookmarks in different containers. Very useful for sites with multiple accounts.

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#3

I use Vivaldi as a third browser(FF and Tor. )But if you don’t want Chromium, check Cliqz. I think it’s the only FF-based browser which uses latest releases

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Cliqz browser
#4

and to add to what @Mr_Book said, i would recommend temporary containers on top of that, which, in my case, will open a new temporary container as soon as i open a new tab or visit a new domain (or subdomain). with those two addons, i dont know why you would need different browsers

#5

why not just use firefox profiles ? (as normal browsers)

#6

You can not run 2 profiles at the same time, right?

#7

Just installed it and it doesn’t work on my computer, I don’t know why tho.

#8

Vivaldi is proprietary and it’s also based on Chromium although I’ll admit that it does not look so aesthetically. I saw the name Cliqz one or two days ago on /r/privacy, I think they are the owners of Ghostery and I think they are involved in some way with sharing user data. I’ll try to search a bit more on it but if they can update a browser at the same rate that Mozilla they probably are a company which has to gain money in some way.

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#9

and to add to what @Mr_Book said, i would recommend temporary containers on top of that, which, in my case, will open a new temporary container as soon as i open a new tab or visit a new domain (or subdomain). with those two addons, i dont know why you would need different browsers

I’m already using temporary containers. I don’t really know the exact reason why you need more than one browser, I just know it works to mitigate data obtained by one party.

why not just use firefox profiles ? (as normal browsers)

I’m using two as of right now since my normal FF setup does not work to load Netflix properly, but I reckon that using a different browser would be more private? IDK, the information I’ve gathered about compartmentalization makes me think it is like this.

You can not run 2 profiles at the same time, right?

Yes, you can.

#10

Yes you can, i was doing it on my old setup

#11

I use several FF profiles at the same time on linux with:
firefox -P xxx -no-remote
where xxx is the name of the profile to launch

#12

Okay, I know that using different FF is an option, but… Is it safe to use one of those forks in a “secure” website or I am risking something?

#13

This is the correct answer in my world. Especially good when using multiple google services. Like youtube and gmail.

#14

But that extension does not work on my browser, I need another solution. :disappointed:

#15

It works with Firefox 71.0 and earlier.

Does it show up in your toolbar? If not put it there. Then open a site then click on extension and add it to a place you create. Click always open in container.

Boom done. You have to do this for all the sites you would regularly go on.
Once it is configured - for example Container called Google Services disposable accounts - open youtube and other google sites, add them to the container. You can assign colours to help you. Then you can open another tab and access google services with another account. Works for other services as well.

#16

Yeah, I have it on my toolbar but when I click on the window from the extension it closes or when I try to long click on the open a new tab to open it inside a container it just does nothing. Could it be some other extensions that interferes with it?

#17

Have you tried using Firejail? I’d recommend it. This is the way I set it up if you’re interested. This will set it up in the same way that Firefox Multi-Account Containers would but you’re sandboxing everything with Firejail.

Before doing this, I actually recommend installing AppArmor so that you can sandbox Firejail as well.

sudo apt update -y

sudo apt install apparmor apparmor-profiles apparmor-profiles-extra -y

sudo apt install firejail firejail-profiles firetools -y

All of these should be available in Debian 9, Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS and up. You’ll have all of the AppArmor profiles you’ll require, as well as all of the Firejail profiles you’ll require if you choose to use it for other applications.

sudo nano /usr/local/bin/firefox

#!/bin/bash
/usr/bin/firejail --apparmor --seccomp --private --dns=1.1.1.1 --dns=1.0.0.1 /usr/bin/firefox -no-remote -private-window

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/firefox

That’ll set it up so that by default, your Firefox session will erase itself completely when you’re done with it.

After that, you’ll want to create a launcher for each of your sandboxed Firefox profiles using Firejail.

sudo cp /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop /usr/share/applications/firefox-personal.desktop

sudo cp /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop /usr/share/applications/firefox-work.desktop

sudo cp /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop /usr/share/applications/firefox-banking.desktop

sudo cp /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop /usr/share/applications/firefox-shopping.desktop

You’ll either have to edit these files with a text editor, or if you’re using Whisker Menu, you can use MenuLibre.

firefox-personal
firefox-personal1920×1055 159 KB

firejail --apparmor --seccomp --private=/home/user/Desktop/Firejail/Firefox/Personal --dns=1.1.1.1 --dns=1.0.0.1 firefox -no-remote -private %u

firefox-work
firefox-work1920×1055 159 KB

firejail --apparmor --seccomp --private=/home/user/Desktop/Firejail/Firefox/Work --dns=1.1.1.1 --dns=1.0.0.1 firefox -no-remote -private %u

firefox-banking
firefox-banking1920×1055 160 KB

firejail --apparmor --seccomp --private=/home/user/Desktop/Firejail/Firefox/Banking --dns=1.1.1.1 --dns=1.0.0.1 firefox -no-remote -private %u

firefox-shopping
firefox-shopping1920×1055 160 KB

firejail --apparmor --seccomp --private=/home/user/Desktop/Firejail/Firefox/Shopping --dns=1.1.1.1 --dns=1.0.0.1 firefox -no-remote -private %u

I hope this will help you, as well as anyone else who wishes to do this. Security by compartmentalization is amazing, is it not?

#18

of what I’ve heard firejail does almost nothing to this and bubbelwrap is recommended instead. just a heads up to check it out!

#20

What I do is Firefox for searches and Brave for logging into to sites. A few others for other things and Tor Browser. One idea is maybe Firefox for searching and then Firefox beta for logging in and Firefox nightly for xyz? I use Firefox container tabs which are nice, just hold m1 on the new tab plus icon and bam which one would you like to open. :slight_smile:

#21

I have worked out this already. I use Tor to log in (except for websites where that would be impossible, VOD providers, work/college related sites, et cetera) and I have three different Firefox profiles for other purposes.