The German Federal Office for Information Security has released a warning that the Mozilla Firefox Web browser has security problems PC users should be aware of.
The security issue leaves an opening for a hijacker to take control of all exploited PCs.
The Firefox version in question is 3.6, with Mozilla expected to release a new version of Firefox by the end of the month. Mozilla officials confirmed the security risk last week - and have already issued two fixes for the problem.
In January, the German government also said Microsoft Internet Explorer posed a significant security risk to PC users.
I'm not sure I approve of the German government doing this, but it may force companies to be responsible for the products they release to consumers. Mozilla appeared willing to just leave the exploit open until the next version release, but Germany forced the group to secure its product.
The European Commission and select governments - including Germany - have been able to make companies more accountable for their software. The EU made Microsoft include a Web browser ballot system in Windows 7, while the German government last year considered banning all violent video games.
Unless you have a backup browser you regularly use and keep updated, there is a serious risk of additional security issues if you leave Firefox for an older version browser.
I agree with security experts who recommend Firefox users stay with the browser and either try Firefox 3.6.2, or wait until Mozilla releases the security patch.
