By Version 129.0 of Firefox, which is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, was just released by Mozilla. Numerous security flaws have been fixed in this release, along with improvements to Reader View and DNS entry handling. The two Firefox ESR (Extended Support Release) versions also have security patches.
Mozilla mentions 14 security flaws that have been fixed in Firefox 129’s security report, with 11 of them being classified as high risk. None of the security flaws have, as far as we are aware, been used in actual attacks.
To start an update check if you have not updated yet, navigate to Help > About Firefox. Alternatively, you might manually download and install the Firefox update.
What is new?
When URLs are typed without a protocol specified, Firefox now assumes by default that you want to browse websites via the encrypted HTTPS protocol. Firefox will not try to reach a website using unencrypted HTTP until it supports HTTPS.
Furthermore, Firefox can now resolve HTTPS DNS entries with the DNS resolver in Windows 11 and Linux (as well as Android 10 or later) without the need to activate DNS over HTTPS (DoH).
Then there is Reader View, a long-standing Firefox feature that allows you to view a webpage’s content without any distracting features (like adverts). New control elements, including font kinds, font weights, content width, line spacing, and more, have been added to Reader View to enable customization. Additionally, you can choose or create your color scheme.
Firefox presently only shows the page title as a tooltip when you hover your cursor over a background tab. Mozilla will be releasing a new preview feature for the next several days, which displays a reduced-size screenshot of the tab’s page.
What about ESR for Firefox?
Two ESR (Extended Support Release) versions of Mozilla will be available, at least until the upcoming upgrade, which is anticipated to be released somewhere in early to mid-September.
This update fixes nine security vulnerabilities for ESR 115. Support for Windows 7 and 8 will officially stop with the release of Firefox ESR 115. Beyond “September 2024,” there has not been any information released regarding the precise date of ESR 115’s deprecation as of now.
Regarding ESR 128, Mozilla fixed 12 security flaws. The vulnerabilities that were just patched in Firefox 129 are essentially the same.
How about Firefox on Android phones?
The same vulnerabilities that were addressed in the desktop version have also been fixed in Firefox for Android 129. As previously mentioned, Android 10 and later can also benefit from the enhanced ability to resolve HTTPS DNS records. For offline translations, you can download more languages.
As of right now, September 3, 2024, is when Mozilla plans to release Firefox 130, Firefox ESR 128.2, and Firefox ESR 115.15.
