Mozilla Closes Down Critical Security Holes
The Mozilla Foundation has just released Firefox version 2.0.0.10 which resolves three critical vulnerabilities – but new issues have already reared their ugly heads.
One of the most serious vulnerabilities concerned handling of .jar files. An error in the Jar protocol implementation allowed cross-site scripting attacks on filters and other safeguards to grab login information and other data. Another scenario describes attacks with carefully crafted archives. Redirects allowed attackers to exploit the vulnerability. The second error to have been removed was exploitable by setting the "window.location" to redirect HTTP headers and thus launch cross-site scripting attacks.
The third error originated from a memory management bug which attackers could exploit to crash the browser or execute malicious code on the victim’s system. These vulnerabilities also affect Mozilla Seamonkey, a new version of which (1.1.7) will become available in the next few days.
But shortly after version 2.0.0.10 of Firefox was released, the next crop of bugs was identified. US-based developer Kevin Han has reported a bug that prevents the browser from displaying graphics embedded using Javascript. The new version responds to the "canvas.drawImage()" instruction with an error message of "NS_ERROR_NOT_AVAILABLE"; instead of displaying vector graphics, the method now draws pixel images in them.
Despite the new bug, the Firefox developers still advise users to update to the new version of the browser. The Mozilla Foundation servers have versions in various languages with distribution packages due to follow in the next few days.
Issue 192/2016
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
Nextcloud Announces Raspberry Pi-Powered Home Cloud Box
Innovative system adds a hard drive and Ubuntu Core to the RPi for an IoT hub.
-
Linus Torvalds Confirms the Date of the First Linux Release
Linux is two weeks younger than we thought!
-
End of OpenOffice?
The Apache Software Foundation considers retiring OpenOffice
-
Adobe Gives New Life to NPAPI Plugin for Linux
Adobe won’t kill the plugin in 2017
-
LinuxCon North America Convenes in Toronto, Canada
Linux Foundation's big event celebrates the 25th anniversary of Linux
-
Linux Turns 25
Linux has evolved from “won’t be a professional” project to one of the most professional software projects in the history of computers.
-
Mirantis Joins Hands with SUSE To Offer RHEL Support; Red Hat Not Happy
Competitors get in the game with RHEL without Red Hat
-
Linux on Windows 10 Poses a Security Risk
Security researchers have already notified Microsoft; some fixes are available
-
Mirantis to Refactor OpenStack Fuel for Kubernetes
The company is collaborating with Google and Intel to use Kubernetes as an engine for Fuel
-
Canonical Joins Document Foundation Advisory Board
The upcoming release of LibreOffice will be available as a snap package