Sorry, I found another weird thing ... that behaviour happens in some website but not other.

When you download a file, select 'Save' and nothing else.

1) Some web site determines your operating systems before serving you the file. So if you do Save as, you ended up saving a webpage, not the executable.

2) And the problem for me is not so much of saving the file - I can go to temp file and copy the file. The problem is that a website may serve malicious executable files and it gets executed without you being prompted.

hello ave cahyadi,

follow the step:

Clear all cookies, site data and cache

• Click the menu button and select Options.
• Select the Privacy & Security panel and go to the Cookies and Site Data section.
• Click the Clear Data button The Clear Data dialog will appear.
• Click Clear.

If Firefox: It could be the work of one of your add-ons Type about:addons<enter> in the address bar to open your Add-ons Manager Hot key: <Control>(Mac=<Command>)<Shift> A)

In the Add-ons Manager, on the left, select Extensions. Disable a few add-ons, then Restart Firefox

Some added toolbar and anti-virus add-ons are known to cause Firefox issues. Disable All of them.

If the problem continues, disable some more (restarting FF) Continue until the problem is gone After, you know what group is causing the issue Re-enable the last group ONE AT A TIME (restarting FF) until the problem returns.

Once you think you found the problem, disable that and re-enable all the others, then restart again Let us know who the suspect is, detective.

tell me its hepls.

Thank you!

Hi Arman, Thanks for the reply - unfortunately it doesn't work. I tried with safe mode as well (i.e. no add on), but still doesn't work, i.e. the executable gets downloaded to temp and automatically run.

I have tested on another computer with the same firefox version, same behaviour. I also tested on Firefox 68.9esr and the behaviour is what I expected, i.e. I was prompted whether I want to save the executable or not.

So I suspect it is to do with different Firefox version. FYI, the website where I first noticed this behaviour is jetbrains and the executable that automatically get downloaded is IntelliJ idea. While the software itself is legit and I have no problem that it got downloaded and executed automatically, this is not a good practice and can lead to security problem.

Thanks for the response though.

. . . So if you do Save as, you ended up saving a webpage, not the executable.

That has never happened to me. Right-click the link, select Copy Link. Then send me a Private Message.

Please provide a public link (no password) that we can check out. No Personal Information Please !