Controlling a Firefox Extension via Javascript

Question

Is it possible, using javascript, to control an overlay firefox extension? I've extracted the contents of the extension and have identified what functions/methods I need to run, but they are not accessible within the scope of the console.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Answer 1

Yes it possible to interact with other add-ons, given the right circumstances.

My test case here will be com.googlecode.sqlitemanager.openInOwnWindow() , which is part of the SqliteManager addon .

1. In newer builds (I'm using Nightly), there is the Browser Toolbox . With it is is as simple as opening a toolbox and executing com.googlecode.sqlitemanager.openInOwnWindow() in the Console.

2. You may instead use the Browser Console (or any chrome enabled WebDev Console for that matter, eg the Console of "about:newtab"). But you need some boilerplate code to first find the browser window. So here is the code you can execute there: var bwin = Services.wm.getMostRecentWindow("navigator:browser"); bwin.com.googlecode.sqlitemanager.openInOwnWindow() var bwin = Services.wm.getMostRecentWindow("navigator:browser"); bwin.com.googlecode.sqlitemanager.openInOwnWindow()

3. Again, enable chrome debugging . Then open a Scratchpad and switch to Chrome in the Environment menu. Now executing com.googlecode.sqlitemanager.openInOwnWindow() in our Scratchpad will work.

4. You may of course write your own overlay add-on.

5. As a last resort, patch the add-on itself.

6. Bootstrapped/SDK add-ons: you can load XPIProvider.jsm (which changed location recently) and get to the bootstrapped scope (run environment of bootstrap.js ) via XPIProvider.bootstrapScopes[addonID] , and take it from there (use whatever is in the bootstrap scope, eg the SDK loader).

Now about the right circumstances : If and how you can interact with a certain add-on depends on the add-on. Add-ons may have global symbols in their overlay and hence browser window, such as in the example I used. Or may use (to some extend) JS code modules. Or have their own custom loader stuff (eg AdBlock Plus has their own require() -like stuff and SDK add-ons have their own loader, which isn't exactly easy to infiltate)...

Since your question is rather unspecific, I'll leave it at this.

Edit by question asker: This is correct, however I figured I'd add an example of the code I ended up using in the end, which was in fact taken directly from mozilla's developer network website:

In my chrome js:

var myExtension = {
  myListener: function(evt) {
   IprPreferences.setFreshIpStatus(true); // replace with whatever you want to 'fire' in the extension
  }
}

document.addEventListener("MyExtensionEvent", function(e) { myExtension.myListener(e); }, false, true);
// The last value is a Mozilla-specific value to indicate untrusted content is allowed to trigger the event.

In the web content:

var element = document.createElement("MyExtensionDataElement");
element.setAttribute("attribute1", "foobar");
element.setAttribute("attribute2", "hello world");
document.documentElement.appendChild(element);

var evt = document.createEvent("Events");
evt.initEvent("MyExtensionEvent", true, false);
element.dispatchEvent(evt);

Answer 2

Update for Firefox 47 and up

Things changed drastically in Firefox 47. This is the new way to access it.

var XPIScope = Cu.import('resource://gre/modules/addons/XPIProvider.jsm');
var addonid = 'Profilist@jetpack';
var scope = XPIScope.XPIProvider.activeAddons.get(addonid).bootstrapScope

Old way for < Firefox 47

Update for methods of today

Typically you will do so like this:

If i wanted to get into AdBlocks scope, I check AdBlock id, it is {d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d} so I would go:

var XPIScope = Cu.import('resource://gre/modules/addons/XPIProvider.jsm');
var adblockScope = XPIScope.XPIProvider.bootstrapScopes['{d10d0bf8-f5b5-c8b4-a8b2-2b9879e08c5d}'];

You can now tap into anything there.

Another example, I have an addon installed with id NativeShot@jetpack

I would tap into it like this:

var XPIScope = Cu.import('resource://gre/modules/addons/XPIProvider.jsm');
var nativeshotScope = XPIScope.XPIProvider.bootstrapScopes['NativeShot@jetpack'];

if you do console.log(nativeshotScope) you will see all that is inside.