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Common Access Card help for your
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FIREFOX and WATERFOX on WINDOWS INFORMATION page  (Mac users look here)

 


Firefox

   

Your outcome may vary.  If the instructions below don't work, I recommend you use Internet Explorer for CAC related websites.

 

Some Government websites simply will NOT work with anything other than Internet Explorer.  One example is the S/MIME control needed for your @mail.mil email address (or any other OWA (Outlook Web App / Access) to be able to send and read encrypted email.  This program was written exclusively for 32 bit Internet Explorer.  So, web browsers such as Firefox, Safari, and Google Chrome, cannot digitally encrypt [or decrypt] emails.

 

  There is now another option to use your CAC with Firefox without installing ActivClient.  It is an Open Source middleware program called OpenSC. 

 

 

OpenSC software can be downloaded from Github.  Scroll to the bottom and look for win32.msi or win64.msi  A person has tested this option and reported this:
"The 64 bit did not work for me, the 32 bit did.  When I installed the 64 bit, I could see the .dll in Windows Explorer, and yet Firefox would not show it to me in its Browse window.  I even typed it in myself, and raised the user permissions on the .dll to full control - neither worked.  Here is link to page that reports the same '64 bit doesn't work, 32 bit does' result. https://wiki.nps.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=21791651"
If anyone gets different results, please let me know your experience.
 
 

Video for configuring Firefox with Windows

Video for configuring your Mac

 

 

NOTE:  Outcomes vary...It could be as simple as steps 1 & 2 which allows the Firefox application to "see" the CAC while other users have tried all of the suggestions and still have issues.  A few computers have required #3.

 

1.  Windows users Download ActivClient 7.1.0.153 from links on ActivClient page

 

1a. Use an Open Source middleware program like OpenSC.  Download the 32 bit version or the the 64 bit version.

 

2. Follow this helpful guide to assist you in making your CAC work with Firefox (if it already works with Internet Explorer) 

NOTE:  Due to Firefox's unpredictable nature, you may not be able to use it with your CAC.  Give these ideas a try, you may get lucky.

 

3.  Run the InstallRoot 5.2 file again to now include certificates for Firefox.  If you ran it prior to installing Firefox it would not have installed the needed certificates.  If you've never set up Internet Explorer to use your CAC, please install the InstallRoot file from links on:  https://militarycac.com/dodcerts.htm 

 

4.  If you'd like to use Firefox on your computer, but do not want to install it, try this.

 

6.  If you see the following message:

Information received from: http://dotomaz.tumblr.com/post/786443743/firefox-4-0b1-and-ssl-renegotiation

You'll need to enable SSL renegotiation, do this by pointing your browser to about:config. After confirming that you know what you are doing, you need to start typing in:

security.ssl.allow_unrestricted_renego_everywhere__temporarily_available_pref

set it to true (by double clicking it). After this you should be able to access the site.

 

Public key enabling Firefox information

 

If you have questions or suggestions for this site, contact Michael J. Danberry
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Last Update or Review:  Sunday, 03 April 2022 13:02 hrs

 

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