14 DAY TRIAL // A new Firefox version is now available for download on all supported desktop platforms, and users are obviously recommended to update the browser as soon as possible.
And one of the reasons an urgent update is recommended is because Firefox 79 comes with fixes for no less than 10 different security vulnerabilities, out of which no less than four have received a high severity rating.
The fixed vulnerabilities are the following:
- HIGH: CVE-2020-15652: Potential leak of redirect targets when loading scripts in a worker
- HIGH: CVE-2020-6514: WebRTC data channel leaks internal address to peer
- HIGH: CVE-2020-15655: Extension APIs could be used to bypass Same-Origin Policy
- HIGH: CVE-2020-15659: Memory safety bugs fixed in Firefox 79
- MODERATE: CVE-2020-15653: Bypassing iframe sandbox when allowing popups
- MODERATE: CVE-2020-6463: Use-after-free in ANGLE gl::Texture::onUnbindAsSamplerTexture
- MODERATE: CVE-2020-15656: Type confusion for special arguments in IonMonkey
- LOW: CVE-2020-15658: Overriding file type when saving to disk
- LOW: CVE-2020-15657: DLL hijacking due to incorrect loading path
- LOW: CVE-2020-15654: Custom cursor can overlay user interface
Full information on the security fixes in Firefox 79 is available in this Mozilla support document.
As far as the new features are concerned, there are two different things that are worth highlighting in this new Firefox version.
First and foremost, it’s the rollout of WebRender, which advances well and which is now becoming available for more Windows users with Intel and AMD graphics cards. Mozilla says this should guarantee improved graphics performance for more users overall.
The second improvement concerns Pocket recommendations in new tabs, with the company explaining that Firefox users in Germany will now get more such items pointing to the best stories online. The good news is that this feature can be turned off should these users choose a cleaner experience.
“You can set your New Tab page to show a search bar, your most visited sites, recommended and highlighted stories or nothing at all. To access these controls, click the menu button Fx57Menu , choose Options and select the Home panel. You can also click on the cogwheel icon in the top-right corner of the New Tab page,” Mozilla explains.
When it comes to enterprises, there’s one major change that concerns the password policy.
“Updates to the password policy allow admins to require a primary password (formerly called master password. Previously the policy could disable the primary password but not force a primary password. Users required to use a primary password will only be asked to create a primary password the first time they try to save a password,” Mozilla says.
Just as expected, this release isn’t all about new features, as Firefox 79 also comes with a series of bug fixes, including for crashes when using a screen reader. Developer changes include JavaScript errors that are now visible both in the console and in the debugger, as well as network responses with 4xx/5xx codes now displayed as errors in the console.
The new Firefox version is available today on Windows, Linux, and Mac, and it also comes with version 2 of Enhanced Tracking Protection. The updated controls add more advanced protection against first-party cookies by default for all users, regardless of their platform.
Starting today, Firefox 80 is the new beta build, so if you want to try out the improvements that will be part of the next stable release, this is the version that you need to download. The Nightly channel has also been updated with Firefox 81, but keep in mind that installing this version isn’t recommended since it’s being used mostly for experiments and trying out new ideas early.
Firefox 80, the next stable build of the browser, is due on August 25.