Is there an error message when you try to open or save PDF files? Do other kinds of downloads still work or is Firefox having a general problem saving files?

“es11222022.01-2.pdf” is an executable file. Executable files may contain viruses or other malicious code that could harm your computer. Use caution when opening this file. Are you sure you want to launch “es11222022.01-2.pdf”?

PDF file known to be good. It opens fine under using FireFox 107 under Win 10. This problem started 22 NOV 22 afternoon US Eastern Time.

OS is Ubuntu 22.04 Firefox is build for special non-snap build for Ubuntu.

Steps to replicate please? Do you have the same issue on this site? https://www.irs.gov/downloads/irs-pdf

Also, try downloading Firefox from Mozilla, run firefox-bin from the folder and see if you have the same issue. https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/#product-desktop-release

How is Firefox setup to handle pdfs? see screenshot

Still trouble shooting. Firefox is special non-snap version of Firefox only for Ubuntu. PDF editor/reader is PDF Studio Pro 2002 (Qoppa).

Did you try Firefox from Mozilla? Did you try downloading a pdf from the link above?

Download from IRS website had same problem. Further investigation showed that a downloaded PDF will show up under the recent documents section of Nemo. It appears files are getting downloaded even though Firefox is claiming an error. Probably just looking in the right spot is a workaround.

Firefox from Mozilla?

Is there an error message when you try to open or save PDF files?

This error ONLY applies to Firefox 107.0.1 (64-bit) Mozilla Firefox for Ubuntu canonical - 1.0. This version of Firefox is downloaded from the mozillateam ppa, and it is designed to get around the Snap version of Firefox that comes with Ubuntu. The following error message appears when downloading a PDF file from any source including US government websites as well as those of major publishers of scientific and medical journals:

“fpubh-10-1052519.pdf” is an executable file. Executable files may contain viruses or other malicious code that could harm your computer. Use caution when opening this file. Are you sure you want to launch “fpubh-10-1052519.pdf”?

Clicking the OK in the radio button allows the download to go to completion. I do not know if the mozillateam personnel are aware of this problem or not. What I really need is a way to contact them.

Version 108.0 is releasing today (or shortly). Let us know if there is any improvement.

Version 108.0 installed the other day. Just went to download the PDF of a journal article from one of the journals published by the American Chemical Society.

“acs.chemrestox.2c00268-2.pdf” is an executable file. Executable files may contain viruses or other malicious code that could harm your computer. Use caution when opening this file. Are you sure you want to launch “acs.chemrestox.2c00268-2.pdf”?

AND ANOTHER ONE

“acs.jafc.2c04527.pdf” is an executable file. Executable files may contain viruses or other malicious code that could harm your computer. Use caution when opening this file. Are you sure you want to launch “acs.jafc.2c04527.pdf”?

Both of above files opened correctly with PDF Studio Pro 2022, v 2022.1.3

Firefox 108.0 Mozilla Firefox for Ubuntu canonical - 1.0 . This is non-SNAP version of Firefox and came from the mozillateam ppa . OS is Ubuntu 22.10 with Unity 7.6 desktop.

I'm puzzled why Firefox thinks a PDF file is an executable. I'm struggling to figure out where the code is that would determine that. Hopefully we can find a way to fix it.

Meanwhile, if you want to suppress that warning for ALL files that Firefox thinks are executable files, you can do that by creating the following preference. I'm not sure this is a good idea, but it depends on how cautious you are about actual executable files and how sick you get of this message.

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button accepting the risk.

More info on about:config: Configuration Editor for Firefox. The moderators would like us to remind you that changes made through this back door aren't fully supported and aren't guaranteed to continue working in the future.

(2) In the search box in the page, type or paste browser.download.skipConfirmLaunchExecutable and pause while the list is filtered

Firefox should display a bar with o Boolean o Number o String and a + button

(3) Keep the selection on Boolean and click the + button to add a new preference

(4) If the value is not automatically set to true, double-click the preference to toggle its value from false to true

Hmm, actually ".pdf" is listed as an executable file extension --

https://searchfox.org/mozilla-release/source/toolkit/components/reputationservice/ApplicationReputation.cpp#354

-- but most people don't get a warning so there must be some additional factor. The fact that this list is in the "reputation service" might be a lead, but the IRS site should be considered safe, so... ???

Can you submit a bug to the MozillaTeam people? They have a link for that here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MozillaTeam/ Hopefully they can resolve it, or at least explain why it happens with the custom build.

Thank you very much for your help. I submitted the bug. It went to the section of launchpad that is labeled Ubuntu firefox package:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+bug/1999845

I have gotten my hand slapped before for not having the bug properly defined and put under the right category.

John