Sanboxie 3.64
Windows XP, SP3, 32 bit
Mozilla Firefox 3.6.26 with NoScript 2.3
Outpost Firewall

Firefox with Sanboxie freezes every time it tries to load a page with flash videos, including the Youtube home page or other sites that link to Youtube video. I can run FF and NoScript with the exact FF/Noscript/Firewall configuration without Sandboxie and pages/videos load and run just fine. FF locks up only when run with Sandboxie.

I can't give a precise date when this started but it is within the last month or so because I had previously been able to view YouTube with (an older version of) Sandboxie without problem. When the problem did occur, I updated to the latest Sandboxie but the problem persists.

This may be the same problem reported by Dwillens.

If you upgraded to the latest beta Flash plugin Firefox, that could be the reason.

Thank you for your reply.

My version of Shockwave Flash is 10.3.183.15.

I don't think this is a beta; it was a critical upgrade recommended by the Firefox Add-On Update check. I've just checked the updates while typing this post and I'm already being prompted to upgrade to an even newer verson of Flash.

I tested Sandboxie 3.64 + Firefox 3.6.27 + Flash 10.3.183.15 on a test Windows XP system and I don't see the problem.

Can you try to rule out Outpost as a potential element in this conflict?



No, I don't think so. That problem had to do specifically with Chrome.

This has got me foxed.

I upgraded to FF 3.6.27. I've run FF again with and without Sandboxie, I've studied Outpost's logs and settings but can't find the problem.

If I use Sandboxie on any site that does not contain a video, everything seems to work fine. The moment I go to a page linked to Youtube, or Youtube itself, FF freezes without loading the page. I then run FF without Sandboxie (and even running FF with DropMyRights) and everything works perfectly.

Outpost usually stops Youtube content with its Content Blocker but I don't alter settings when running FF in the different modes, so if Outpost lets content through for non-Sandboxie FF, it should also allow content for Sandboxie FF. Finally, Outpost seems quite happy to run Sandboxie generally, so I don't think it's down to Outpost's Application Settings for Sandboxie.

I also looked at FF's plugin-container.exe to see if that might be the cause, but again nothing obvious is showing up.

I'm not saying that Outpost is not the problem (I also use Nod32 AV), just that I can't find it. No matter what I try, comparing Sandboxie FF to non-Sandboxie FF configurations, everything appears identical and Outpost's logs don't indicate a problem, nor does Sandboxie throw up an error code.

Any suggestions would be welcome. Currently, I'm browsing without Sandboxie.

Would you consider disabling or perhaps even temporarily uninstalling Outpost to see if it does make a difference?

As an alternative to that, please try version 3.65.01 to see if it makes a difference.
http://www.sandboxie.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=12517

And if the problem persists, please post a Resource Access Monitor log.
http://www.sandboxie.com/index.php?ResourceAccessMonitor

Okay, much as it killed me, I ran Sanboxie with Outpost shutdown (but still installed) and the problem persisted.

I removed all entries for SB and SB Service from Outpost's Application Rules list, then ran Sandboxie forcing Outpost to automatically create new rules for SB, but the problem persisted. At this point, I created a log (which I have emailed you separately). Finally, I installed 3.65.01 but the problem occurred exactly the same.

I got your email. Near the bottom of your log, you have



The "X" is probably the cause of this problem.
These two resources is how the main Firefox process talks to the Flash plugin container process, plugin-container.exe.

Some other software in your computer seems to be interfering with this. You probably just need to find out which software it is.
I wish I could be more helpful or more specific than that.

Please check if version 3.65.02 happens to fix your problem.

Tzuk - thanks for your continued effort to solve this.

Unfortunately, the latest version of Sandboxie does not fix the problem. Some additional information:

I tried accessing YouTube with Nod32 turned off, in case the AV was the cause, but the problem remained.

After I installed the new Sandboxie, I went to Youtube, got the freeze, closed FF. Then I opened the Sandbox Settings to add plugin-container.exe to Run/Start and plugin-container wasn't even in the automatically compiled list of apps that Sandboxie had just tried to run. It was as if Sandboxie hadn't seen plugin-container at all.

I manually added plugin-container to the list. When I'd added it to previous versions of Sandboxie, only one entry appeared under the full name. This time I noticed two names appear in the Start/Run list: plugin-container.exe and (below) a dos version which was something like plugin~1.exe.

I ran FF and Sandboxie, went to Youtube, saw Plugin-Container appear then disappear in the Sandboxie window, and then FF froze.

What stumps me is that everything ran fine for months. But one Flash/and a few FF 3.6 updates later and SB/FF is now freezing on pages with Flash content. Also, although as you say, my log suggests a different program on my PC is interfering with plugin-container, this only happens when I use FF via SB. Everything works fine when I run FF without SB, and when I run FF with dropmyrights.exe.

Hope this helps.

As I said before, the key issue is that your log shows "X" on resources that have to do with Flash. This means Firefox.exe an plugin-container.exe don't talk to each other. This means Flash content is not going to play correctly.

If you say this happened following some update, then I can offer this theory: The update causes programs to change. This then caused one of your security software to once again say it doesn't recognize some of your programs, and ask if you want to allow or block. And you accidentally said block, which started causing the "X" in the log.

It's definitely plugin-container.exe what is causing this freeze problem.I had the same problem,but finally got it working again.
If you run FF(Firefox) in SB(Sandboxie) and visit sites with NO flash content,it's fine.But if you open page with flash content,FF tries to start plugin-container.exe ,and then you are f*cked.
This plugin-container.exe is not started automatically with FF,it only starts when there is a flash content on the web page.But once it's started,it will continue to run (even if you close browser tab with flash content), until you close FF.

I run on 6 years old pc
Windows XP, 32 bit
Sanboxie 3.64
Mozilla Firefox 3.6.22 with NoScript 2.3.2 (+ another addons,10 in total)

I installed latest FF v 10.0.2 (in SB only,to test it) with no addons,just to see if it would work....
no,still freezing
Only way to get rid of this problem(at least for now),is to disable plugin-container.exe
There is a solution to this on Technogadge.com with simple instructions how to do it.

For older FF versions:
* Open Firefox web browser.
* Type about:config in the address bar and press Enter key.
* A warning will appear. Ignore it and press the “I’ll be careful, I promise!” button.
* In the Filter field type dom.ipc. Six preferences will appear for the filter dom.ipc.
* Ignore first and last preferences (dom.ipc.plugins.enabled and dom.ipc.plugins.timeoutSecs).Toggle (double-click) each of the four remaining preferences to change the value from “true” to “false“.
* That’s it. Restart Firefox.


link to site
http://www.technogadge.com/how-to-stop-firefox-plugin-container-exe-process/

----------------------------------
For FF v.4 and later versions:(works also for latest FF v 10.0.2)

This requires to manually add 4 preferences

1. Enter about:config in the Firefox address bar.
2. Ignore the warning and go ahead by pressing “I’ll be careful, I promise!” button.
3. Enter dom.ipc.plugins.enabled in the Filter field.
4. One preference will appear. Change it’s value from true to false.
5. Right click in the white space below Preferences Name.
6. From the menu select Boolean under New.
7. Enter new Boolean Value as dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.npctrl.dll
8. Then enter the boolean value as false.
9. Repeat the step from Step 5 to add the following preferences: dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.npqtplugin.dll, dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.npswf32.dll and dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.nptest.dll
10.Once all preferences are set, restart Firefox. Browse Internet as usual. Now you should see the difference!

Copy the 4 preferences from here:

dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.npctrl.dll
dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.npqtplugin.dll
dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.npswf32.dll
dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.nptest.dll

link to site
http://www.technogadge.com/stop-plugin-container-in-firefox-4/
---------------------------------
Do those changes in FF running Not in SB.
Sandboxie has settings by default not to automatically delete contents of sandbox.For those who like to do it manually,let's say once a week,remember to delete contents of sandbox,before it will take effect.

to Tzuk:I know,that it is not final solution for this,but until you find proper cure,we can function normally.

Mark23

Thank you so much!

Sorry for the delay in replying but I'd pretty much given up on this topic and had uninstalled SB. I only came back here on the off-chance and found your post.

With Tzuk's help I'd also reached the conclusion that plugin-container was the issue but my feeling is that it has to be something about the way plugin interacts with SB because (like I mentioned before) everything works perfectly fine (with no config changes) without SB. And I couldn't get plugin/Flash to work with SB with both my firewall and my AV turned off, so there should be nothing on my system that stops plugin. Somehow it's how plugin interacts with SB (maybe with some standard setting deep in my services or some place). I had already found some stuff online about disabling plugin but I didn't fancy taking the time to experiment in case I broke something or somehow inadvertently compromised the security of FF -- And I didn't know if it would solve the problem. However, your PC config (right down to the age of the PC!) is incredibly close to mine, and you've bravely walked the path before me, so I just took the chance to disable plugin (thanks to your very clear instructions), reinstall SB, nipped over to Youtube and... voila! It all works perfectly. Now I can watch flash safely again.

It's great to be a part of such a pro-active and helpful community. Thanks again, Mark. It's really appreciated!