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Mozilla Issues A Security Update To Firefox Users Effective Immediately

by Felix Omondi
Mozilla Issues A Security Update To Firefox Users To Effect Immediately

To most Internet users, when you put Firefox versus Chrome browser. More people will pick Firefox for being more secure and respects users’ privacy. This factor has been among the main reasons why so many users faithfully continue using Firefox as their default browser. Some might argue there are better browsers (notably Google Chrome) out there that gives users more useful extensions. However, the browser seems to have stealthily been compromised.

It emerged that the browser could be having an exploit that has been used by hackers to steal users’ private information. In a blog post dated August 6th, Mozilla Firefox wrote that a user informed them of an advertisement running on a Russian website that served an exploit for Firefox browser. The exploit has the capability of searching sensitive files on the user’s local system and uploaded them to a server that has been traced to Ukraine.

This alert by the user prompted Mozilla Firefox to release a security update to fix the exploit in the Firefox browser. The company is now urging all Firefox browser users to update immediately their browsers to the current version (Firefox 39.0.3). The update has also been effected on Firefox ESR 38.1.1.

The exploit existed on the interaction mechanism that causes JavaScript context separation (the “same origin policy) and the Firefox’s PDF Viewer. However, if you have been using Mozilla products that do not have PDF Viewer, like Firefox browser on Android, you have should be safe. The exploit cannot effect the execution of arbitrary code, but was able to inject JavaScript payload into the local file context. This ability allowed the exploit to search for and upload user’s possible sensitive information.

If you use Firefox browser on a Windows or Linux system, it will be prudent to update your browser right now. You can also visit the Mozilla blog post for more information about the targeted areas by the Firefox exploits and further directions on how to protect yourself.

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