Tails 4.4 and Tor Browser 9.0.6 Released: Key Updates and Security Enhancements

By Riley ThompsonTechnology News

Tails 4.4 and Tor Browser 9.0.6 Released

The release of the specialized Tails 4.4 distribution (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) has been announced. Tails is based on the Debian package base and is designed to provide anonymous internet access. Anonymity in Tails is ensured through the Tor system. By default, all connections except those routed through the Tor network are blocked by a packet filter. User data persistence between sessions is protected with encryption. An ISO image (1 GB) is available for download and can be used in Live mode.

What’s New in This Release

  • Tor Browser has been updated to version 9.0.6 (not officially announced at the time of writing), which is synchronized with the Firefox 68.6.0 ESR codebase.
  • Other updated components include:
    • Linux kernel 5.4.19
    • Thunderbird 68.5.0
    • cURL 7.64.0
    • Evince 3.30.2
    • Pillow 5.4.1
    • WebKitGTK 2.26.4
    • VirtualBox 6.1.4
  • Added missing firmware for wireless cards based on Realtek RTL8822BE/RTL8822CE chips.

Tor Browser 9.0.6 Official Release Details

Tor Browser 9.0.6, now officially released and based on Firefox 68.6.0, includes an updated NoScript 11.0.15. In “Safest” mode, the browser now blocks the loading of external fonts embedded in CSS via src:url(data:application/x-font-*).

Developers have also warned about an unresolved vulnerability that allows JavaScript code execution even in “Safest” mode. This issue remains unfixed, so users who require strict JavaScript blocking are advised to completely disable JavaScript in the browser by changing the javascript.enabled parameter to false in about:config.

Sources and Further Information

  • Official Tails and Tor Browser release notes
  • Community channels and partner resources

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