Mozilla has released updates to its Firefox browser and Thunderbird e-mail client that fix a number of critical security flaws in the open-source products.The Firefox update, which was in the process of being automatically delivered to Firefox 1.5 users Friday, addresses 12 security flaws. The release also includes some fixes designed to make the browser more stable, Mozilla said on its website.Five of the browser flaws are serious enough that an attacker could possibly use them to run unauthorized software on an unpatched system, Mozilla says. Security vendor Secunia rates this update as “highly critical,” its second-highest rating of importance.There are a couple of mitigating factors, however. First, hackers must still develop code that takes advantage of these flaws before users can be attacked. Second, a user would need to be tricked into visiting a malicious website for the attack to occur. Eight bugs have been fixed in Thunderbird, one of which is considered critical by Mozilla.More details on the Firefox vulnerabilities can be found here. Descriptions of the Thunderbird flaws can be found here.–Robert McMillan, IDG News ServiceFor related news coverage, read Microsoft Flaw Affects Windows XP, Windows Server 2003.Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature 10 most popular IT certifications for 2023 Certifications are a great way to show employers you have the right IT skills and specializations for the job. These 10 certs are the ones IT pros are most likely to pursue, according to data from Dice. By Sarah K. White May 26, 2023 8 mins Certifications Careers interview Stepping up to the challenge of a global conglomerate CIO role Dr. Amrut Urkude became CIO of Reliance Polyester after his company was acquired by Reliance Industries. He discusses challenges IT leaders face while transitioning from a small company to a large multinational enterprise, and how to overcome them. By Yashvendra Singh May 26, 2023 7 mins Digital Transformation Careers brandpost With the new financial year looming, now is a good time to review your Microsoft 365 licenses By Veronica Lew May 25, 2023 5 mins Lenovo news Alteryx works in generative AI for speedy analytics results OpenAI integration and AI wizardry for report generation are aimed at making Alteryx’s analytics products more accessible. By Jon Gold May 25, 2023 3 mins Analytics Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe