Mozilla celebrates the 20th anniversary of Firefox with the release of version 132, enhancing privacy by blocking third-party cookies and allowing tab management across devices. The update also addresses eleven security vulnerabilities, including two classified as high risk. New features include support for 4K video and improved data protection. Updates are also available for Firefox ESR, Tor Browser, and Thunderbird. Mozilla is set to release Firefox 133 on November 26.
Mozillla is marking a significant milestone with the launch of Firefox 132, commemorating 20 years since the browser’s inception, which has its roots in Netscape Navigator. This update enhances privacy measures by blocking third-party cookies and introduces features that allow users to manage tabs across multiple devices. Additionally, Firefox ESR, Tor Browser, and Thunderbird have all received updates.
Fixes for Security Vulnerabilities
The recent security report from Mozilla highlights the resolution of eleven vulnerabilities in Firefox 132. Among these, two are categorized as high risk: CVE-2024-10459 involves a use-after-free vulnerability in the layout component, which can lead to crashes or even code execution. The other, CVE-2024-10458, could allow permissions to be transferred from secure websites to less secure ones. Other vulnerabilities, while internally identified, present only a moderate risk of arbitrary code execution.
▶ Check out the latest security updates
New Features in Firefox 132
Firefox 132 is equipped to handle 4K video playback from leading streaming platforms. It introduces support for encrypted video playback through Microsoft PlayReady, available initially on select sites, which aims to enhance performance and extend battery life when compared to the previously used Google Widevine. However, this feature will be gradually rolled out over the coming weeks without requiring any updates.
In addition to keeping your software updated, enhancing your computer’s security with reliable antivirus software is crucial. We recommend exploring our guide on “Testing the best antivirus programs in 2024: How to protect your Windows PC” for some great antivirus options.
Data protection also sees notable improvements. When using the strict mode in the Privacy & security settings, Firefox 132 blocks all third-party cookies. The maximum duration for cookies has now been set to 400 days. Using the “Copy link without website tracking” feature enables Firefox to filter out more tracking parameters than before.
If you use Firefox across several devices, you can synchronize bookmarks, open tabs, and passwords seamlessly. The new sidebar for synchronized tabs can be activated, enabling you to close tabs on other devices via their context menu. To enable this new feature, simply access about:config and toggle the sidebar.revamp switch to “true” by double-clicking it.
A Brief History
In 1994, Marc Andreessen, a key developer behind the NCSA Mosaic browser, founded Netscape. During the mid-90s, Netscape Navigator became the most popular browser, commanding over 80% of the market. The so-called browser wars led to Microsoft favoring Internet Explorer through its market dominance, resulting in AOL acquiring Netscape. In 1998, Netscape made its browser source code open-source and entrusted its future development to the Mozilla Foundation. Building on this foundation, Mozilla launched the Mozilla Firefox 0.1 browser in 2002, with Firefox 1.0 debuting on November 9, 2004, marking the beginning of a remarkable journey that now celebrates 20 years of Firefox.
Updates for Firefox ESR, Tor Browser, and Thunderbird
Mozilla has also rolled out updates for its long-term support versions, Firefox ESR 128 and ESR 115, addressing multiple vulnerabilities. Firefox ESR 128.4.0 saw ten vulnerabilities resolved, while Firefox ESR 115.17.0 had three fixed. The updated Tor Browser 14.0.1 is based on Firefox ESR 128.4.0, and its developers indicate that security improvements from Firefox 132 have been integrated. An update for Tor Browser 13.5 to 13.5.9 is available for users on Windows 7/8.1 or macOS 10.13/10.14. Both Firefox ESR 115 and the Tor Browser version based on it will receive support until at least March 2025.
Thunderbird 128.4.0esr has also been updated to fix ten vulnerabilities and several bugs. Unlike Firefox, Thunderbird no longer supports older operating systems, with version 115.16.2 marking the final update for Thunderbird 115. The Thunderbird 132 version (without “esr”) is currently only available for testing. Meanwhile, Thunderbird for Android remains in beta testing, with an anticipated release later this year.
Looking ahead, Mozilla plans to unveil Firefox 133 on November 26.