Firefox switches to Extended Support for Windows 7, 8, 8.1

[German]Mozilla's developers have just announced that the Firefox browser will move to the so-called Extended Support channel starting with version 115 for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. Firefox 115 will be the last browser version that will still run on the aforementioned operating systems. Support ends in September 2024.

Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 operating systems are out of support (for most users) and no longer receive security updates. Only Windows 7 SP1 continues to receive these security updates in enterprise environments via the paid Extended Support Program (ESP) until January 2024. And ACROS security provides 0patch micro patches to close vulnerabilities found in Windows 7 SP1.

The problem now exists for such environments that they not only no longer receive security updates. Rather, many developers stop supporting applications on these platforms. But Mozilla still wants to support Firefox on these platforms until 2024.

In the April 2023 blog post Windows 7/8.1: Firefox will be support until 3. Q. 2024 at least, I had reported that Mozilla had committed to supporting Firefox for users of Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 until at least Q3 2024. The operating systems have fallen out of support, but Mozilla will continue to offer Firefox for those platforms until 2024.

For Google's Chromium browser (also affects Edge), Google ended support in January 2023 with version 109. This means that all Chromium-based browsers will have to continue with version 109 to still receive security updates until January 2024.

Switch to Extended Support from 115

A blog reader has now pointed out to me in this comment (thanks for that) that Firefox 115 is moving to Extended Support for these platforms. This move is necessary because,  the operating systems mentioned above have fallen out of support and no longer receive operating system security updates.

It says in the blog post Firefox users on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 moving to Extended Support Release by Mozilla developers that Firefox 115 will be the last supported Firefox version for users of Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.

Users running these Windows versions will be automatically moved to the Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) channel by an application update to the browser. This has the following consequences:

• Firefox will remain at version 115 until support expires on these platforms
• Mozilla will provide security updates for Firefox 115 for these systems until September 2024.
• After that date, security updates will no longer be provided.

In a kind of FAQ, the Mozilla developers explain that the change of the support channel is due to the discontinued operating system support. With regard to the question of whether it is still safe to browse with Firefox, they say that critical security updates for the browser will be offered via the Firefox ESR channel until the end of ESR version 115 in September 2024. Until that time, the browser is patched, at least in terms of browser vulnerabilities. From September 2024, however, support through security updates will end on this platform as well. Switching to a supported Windows version will then be indispensable.