All articles tagged with #firefox
Researchers found AliExpress used an obsolete inaudible-audio WebAudio fingerprinting trick to identify visitors via hidden scripts that analyze audio waveforms; Firefox’s 2023 fix with constant libraries and protections in Chrome/Safari have largely neutralized this method, though the retailer still relies on a suite of other fingerprinting techniques.
A security researcher alleges AliExpress used an obfuscated WebAudio-based fingerprinting method that emits inaudible audio to the browser to gather device/browser data, which reportedly disrupted Bluetooth headphones for a user; Firefox says its anti-fingerprinting protections mitigate this technique, Brave says it blocks the involved scripts, while Chrome/Safari have defenses; AliExpress has not commented publicly.
Mozilla’s Firefox adds Smart Window, an opt-in AI browsing feature that can pull live web data and show source links via a partnership with Exa, while also organizing tabs and showing visual previews from your history. It supports multiple AI models (Gemini, OpenAI, Alibaba, or local) under a zero-data-retention policy, and Mozilla emphasizes a user-first, privacy-focused approach with configurable AI controls. Future updates may surface recent browsing journeys and offer AI autofill, but the feature remains optional and non-prescriptive to preserve a cookie‑cutter browser experience.
Mozilla's Firefox 154 arrives with a new 'Manage AI' quick action in the address bar to access AI settings, plus changes such as favicon refresh during hard reloads, Local Access Network protections for WebSocket connections, cross-platform restoration of backed-up profiles, Android updates, and vertical tab improvements; developer notes highlight WebDriver enhancements and the sandbox manifest key; available for download via Mozilla's FTP.
Firefox offers stronger privacy protections and lighter memory use, but switching from Chrome comes with four drawbacks: a far smaller extension ecosystem (about 69k extensions in Firefox vs ~289k in Chrome), potential site and app compatibility issues due to Firefox's different web tech support, slower performance in benchmarks compared with Chrome, and weaker, less seamless integration with Google services (no built‑in password management or account-wide syncing).
Mozilla releases Firefox 153 as the new ESR, adding Vulkan Video decoding support and experimental JPEG-XL via Firefox Labs, with PDF enhancements and HDR video playback on Windows; Linux continues to rely on VA-API paths, and binaries are available from ftp.mozilla.org.
Mozilla patched two critical Firefox flaws (CVE-2026-15718/15719) with exploit code public; Google Chrome fixed 15 bugs including two critical Ozone use-after-free issues (CVE-2026-15764/15765). Adobe released security updates addressing 88 vulnerabilities across ColdFusion, Commerce/Magento, Experience Manager, and Illustrator (with several high-severity CVEs). Broadcom also fixed a critical authentication-bypass in VMware Avi Load Balancer (CVE-2026-47865). None are listed as actively exploited yet, but updates are advised as attackers often weaponize these flaws.
Firefox 152 ships with JPEG-XL support compiled by default on beta/release builds but disabled at runtime behind a preference, introduces a redesigned settings interface, HDR video support on Windows for certain hardware, and CSS field-sizing; Vulkan Video decoding is expected in Firefox 153.
Firefox 151 adds desktop support for the Web Serial API, letting websites read from and write to serial devices via JavaScript. Mozilla and Adafruit are collaborating to validate browser-based hardware workflows, enabling direct hardware communication (e.g., microcontrollers) in the browser with less setup and no extra software for many projects.
Mozilla’s Project Nova redesign for Firefox introduces a single, user-visible AI-off switch to disable all AI features, plus a cleaner UI and plain-language privacy controls, signaling a move toward opt-out AI in browsers while keeping some AI features available by default.
Mozilla is rolling out Project Nova, a rounded, more customizable Firefox interface designed to make privacy settings easier to find and give users clearer controls over AI features; the overhaul includes new icons, wallpapers, themes, and productivity tweaks like compact mode, tab groups, split view, and vertical tabs, with rollout planned later this year. The Web Serial API is already available in Firefox 151, enabling websites to interact with devices without native apps.
Firefox 153 Nightly now enables a redesigned Settings UI by default, offering clearer organization, easier navigation, and improved descriptions while keeping AI controls. Mozilla hopes the redesign will eventually reach the Firefox 152 release channel, with more details on the Nightly Blog.
Mozilla says Claude Mythos helped identify and patch 271 Firefox vulnerabilities, but the model didn’t find bugs beyond what human researchers would, and the feature can be turned off by users.
Mozilla now ships a built-in VPN with Firefox that shields only browser traffic (not apps or system processes) using WireGuard, with a 50GB data limit—great for casual browsing but not a full privacy solution.
Mozilla says Anthropic’s Mythos Preview identified 271 security vulnerabilities in Firefox 150 during pre-release analysis, vastly more than the 22 found by Opus 4.6 for Firefox 148, highlighting AI-assisted vulnerability discovery as a potential shift toward stronger defense and raising implications for open-source security testing.