Umbra Browser is a privacy-focused web browser forked from the Ghostery Browser build system. Built on a hardened Firefox ESR foundation, it strips out all telemetry and outbound connections. It comes with uBlock Origin preinstalled and pre-configured to block trackers and ads from the first launch, requiring no manual setup from the user.
- No telemetry or outbound calls. The browser has been modified to remove all components that send data to external servers. There is no usage data collection, crash reports, or connections to analytics services. The only exceptions are essential codec downloads required for video playback on specific websites.
- uBlock Origin preinstalled. The uBlock Origin extension is included by default with privacy-optimized settings. It blocks ads, trackers, mining scripts, and malware domains without user intervention, improving loading speed and security during browsing.
- WebRTC leak protection. Internal WebRTC settings are adjusted to prevent local or real IP addresses from leaking through peer-to-peer connections. This ensures websites cannot discover the user's private IP address even when using a VPN or proxy.
- Prefetching and speculative connections disabled. Features like link prefetching, anticipatory DNS resolution, and preconnections to domains are disabled. This prevents the browser from making requests to websites before the user clicks, eliminating potential information leaks.
- Hardened Firefox ESR security. Umbra uses the Firefox ESR branch as its base but applies stricter security configurations. Parameters regarding SameSite policies, cache storage, and API permissions are modified to reduce the attack surface and fingerprinting.
- No sync infrastructure. The browser does not include synchronization systems for bookmarks, passwords, or history. With no user accounts or sync servers, there is no personal data stored externally that could be compromised.
- No location services. All geolocation APIs are blocked by default. Websites cannot request or access the device's physical location, as the corresponding functions have been disabled in the build.
- Background auto-updates disabled. The browser's update system does not perform periodic background checks. Updates must be initiated manually by the user, preventing automatic connections to Mozilla or Umbra servers.
- Modified HTTP headers. Headers sent by the browser have been altered to remove redundant or potentially identifying information. The amount of exposed data about the operating system, browser version, and hardware capabilities is reduced.
- Cross-platform support. The browser is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. Each version receives the same telemetry removal and privacy hardening treatment, maintaining feature parity across platforms.
- Derived from Ghostery Browser architecture. The codebase utilizes the build system and modifications originally developed by Ghostery Browser for their product. With Ghostery Browser discontinued, Umbra maintains this proven architecture while removing commercial components.
The development history of Umbra Browser begins with the discontinuation of Ghostery Browser. The developers, whose current team has not been publicly disclosed, took the Ghostery build system base and adapted it to create a browser without the original commercial components. The goal was to preserve the already implemented privacy modifications while eliminating all residual telemetry. The program is written in the languages native to the Mozilla platform: C++ for the Gecko engine, JavaScript for the interface, and Python for the build system.
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