CharlesMenter.com

Mozilla Addresses Multiple Vulnerabilities

Date: Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Systems Affected

    * Mozilla Firefox.

    * Mozilla Thunderbird.

    * Mozilla SeaMonkey.

    * Netscape Browser.

    Other products based on Mozilla components may also be affected.

Overview

      Mozilla Firefox, Thunderbird, and derived products contain several vulnerabilities. By taking advantage of one or more of these vulnerabilities, an attacker may be able to take control of your computer.

Description

      Mozilla products, including the Firefox web browser and Thunderbird email application, contain a number of vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to access your computer, run programs that could cause your computer to crash, or gain control of your computer. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by convincing you to visit a web site or read an HTML formatted email message.

Solution

   Upgrade to the latest versions of Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey.

    Mozilla has released Firefox 1.5.0.9, Firefox 2.0.0.1, Thunderbird 1.5.0.9 and SeaMonkey 1.0.7 to correct these problems. Mozilla Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey automatically check for updates by default.

    Security updates for Firefox 1.5 are scheduled to end in April 2007. According to Mozilla:

     Firefox 1.5.0.x will be maintained with security and stability updates until April 24, 2007. All users are strongly encouraged to upgrade to Firefox 2.

   Disable JavaScript and Java.

    These vulnerabilities can be mitigated by disabling JavaScript and Java. For more information about configuring Firefox or Netscape, users should see the browser's Help File for details. Thunderbird disables JavaScript and Java by default.

References

     * Mozilla Foundation Security Advisories -
        < http://www.mozilla.org/security/announce/ >
     * Firefox - Rediscover the Web -
        < http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ >
     * Thunderbird - Reclaim your inbox -
        < http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/ >
     * The SeaMonkey Project -
        < http://www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey/ >
     * Mozilla Hall of Fame -
        < http://www.mozilla.org/university/HOF.html >
     * Site Controls -
        < http://browser.netscape.com/ns8/help/options-site.jsp >