Mozilla Corp. has announced updates for the Firefox browser and Thunderbird email client to address several serious security vulnerabilities in these open-source applications.
The Firefox update includes 12 independent patches, which were released automatically over the past weekend. Additionally, Mozilla stated that there are several other patches that enhance the stability of the browser.
Five of the vulnerabilities related to the browser are classified as critical, potentially allowing hackers to execute malicious software on affected systems. The security firm Secunia rates these vulnerabilities as “highly critical” – the highest warning level.
However, Mozilla also noted that to successfully exploit these vulnerabilities, hackers would still need to create additional exploit code and lure users to visit websites that have the attack code embedded.
For the Thunderbird email client, Mozilla has issued 8 patches, all of which are also rated as highly critical.
* For more information about the new vulnerabilities in Firefox, you can visit Mozilla’s website:
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/known-vulnerabilities.html
* For more information about the new vulnerabilities in Thunderbird, you can visit Mozilla’s website:
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/known-vulnerabilities.html#Thunderbird
