Firefox Flaw Carries Code Execution Risk | eWeek

Firefox Flaw Carries Code Execution Risk

Written By
Ryan Naraine
Ryan Naraine
May 3, 2006
1 minute read
eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

A new version of the upstart Firefox Web browser has been released to patch a “critical” flaw that could lead to the execution of malicious code.

According to Mozilla, Firefox 1.5.0.3 fixes a publicly reported denial-of-service bug that can theoretically lead to a more serious security issue.

Mozilla described the flaw as crashes that were discovered to ultimately stem from the same root cause: attempting to use a deleted controller context when designMode was turned on.

“This generally results in crashing the browser, but in theory references to deleted objects can be abused to run malicious code,” the open-source group said in an advisory.

Older clients, including Firefox 1.0.x and the Mozilla Suite 1.7.x, are not affected.

The patch comes just weeks after the release of Firefox 1.5.0.2 as a “significant security and stability” update.

/zimages/5/28571.gifRead morehereabout Firefoxs most recent security makeover.

Firefox 1.5.0.2 also shipped with native support for Macintosh with Intel Core processors and improvements to product stability. In addition, it was fitted with several improvements for the Japanese locale, and fixed common crashes performance, including several known memory leak issues.

/zimages/5/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest security news, reviews and analysis. And for insights on security coverage around the Web, take a look at eWEEK.com Security Center Editor Larry Seltzers Weblog.

eWeek Logo

eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.