New Firefox, Mozilla Versions Plug Critical Security Holes

Written By
Larry Seltzer
Larry Seltzer
Published: Apr 16, 2005
Updated: Feb 2, 2021
2 minute read
eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

The Mozilla Foundation has released new versions of the Firefox browser and Mozilla suite of programs to address several security vulnerabilities.

As previously reported, the updates—Firefox 1.0.3 and Mozilla 1.7.7—patch a known JavaScript Engine flaw.

The vulnerabilities addressed by the new versions include three critical bugs in Firefox, two of which are also present in Mozilla. All seven vulnerabilities addressed in the Mozilla fix are also present in the Firefox upgrade, which also contains two fixes specific to it. No changes were announced in the Thunderbird mail client.

The three critical fixes involve two cases of arbitrary code execution and one of privilege escalation. In the first, an error in the support for “favicons” could allow a script to run with elevated privileges and install or run malicious software. The second, specific to Firefox, allows malicious scripts to open a privileged page in the sidebar and then inject script that can be used to install malicious code or steal data.

The third bug appears to involve UI code executing user scripts in an inappropriately privileged fashion. Mozilla is withholding further details on this bug until April 25.

Many of the noncritical bugs also involve serious compromises, such as privileged JavaScript execution and cross-site scripting.

The Mozilla Foundation had previously announced that it would not release any new major versions of the Mozilla Suite, but that it would continue to issue security updates. This release represents the third major set of security fixes in the Mozilla Suite and Firefox since late February.

Check 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.

Larry Seltzer

Larry Seltzer has been writing software for and English about computers ever since—,much to his own amazement— He was one of the authors of NPL and NPL-R, fourth-generation languages for microcomputers by the now-defunct DeskTop Software Corporation. (Larry is sad to find absolutely no hits on any of these +products on Google.) His work at Desktop Software included programming the UCSD p-System, a virtual machine-based operating system with portable binaries that pre-dated Java by more than 10 years.For several years, he wrote corporate software for Mathematica Policy Research (they're still in business!) and Chase Econometrics (not so lucky) before being forcibly thrown into the consulting market. He bummed around the Philadelphia consulting and contract-programming scenes for a year or two before taking a job at NSTL (National Software Testing Labs) developing product tests and managing contract testing for the computer industry, governments and publication.In 1991 Larry moved to Massachusetts to become Technical Director of PC Week Labs (now eWeek Labs). He moved within Ziff Davis to New York in 1994 to run testing at Windows Sources. In 1995, he became Technical Director for Internet product testing at PC Magazine and stayed there till 1998.Since then, he has been writing for numerous other publications, including Fortune Small Business, Windows 2000 Magazine (now Windows and .NET Magazine), ZDNet and Sam Whitmore's Media Survey.

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.