Mozilla has released Firefox 17.0 for Windows, Mac, and Linux, following on from Firefox 16 in October as part of the browser's regular six-week release cycle. The update brings a few new features alongside performance improvements and twenty bug fixes. Firefox 17 for Android has also been released, carrying the security and performance improvements over to the mobile platform.
Click-to-Play Plugin Blacklisting
The most important security addition in Firefox 17 is click-to-play blacklisting. This prevents known vulnerable versions of plugins from running automatically without your permission. Rather than blocking plugins entirely, the feature gives you control by requiring a deliberate click before any blacklisted plugin version is allowed to execute. It is a practical approach to a long-standing security concern around outdated browser plugins.
OS X Mountain Lion and Developer Improvements
Mac users on OS X Mountain Lion will find that Firefox 17 now integrates with the Notification Center, bringing browser alerts in line with the rest of the operating system. On the developer side, the Debugger and Developer Toolbar have both been improved in the Web Console. JavaScript Maps and Sets are now iterable, and SVG FillPaint and StrokePaint have been implemented, giving developers more to work with when building modern web experiences.
Download Firefox 17
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