Tails 5.19 Distribution Released
The specialized Tails 5.19 distribution (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) has been released. Tails is based on Debian packages and is designed for anonymous internet access. Anonymity in Tails is provided by 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 encrypted for security. The new release is available as a 1 GB ISO image that can run in Live mode.
What’s New in Tails 5.19
- The Onion Circuits interface now allows users to close a selected Tor circuit. This can be useful for replacing a slow connection path or diagnosing issues.
- Tor Browser has been updated to version 13.0.1, which is synchronized with the Firefox 115.4.0 ESR codebase. This update addresses 19 vulnerabilities, 13 of which are considered critical.
- Other updated components include Tor 0.4.8.7, Thunderbird email client 115.4.1, and the Linux kernel 6.1.55.
- By user request from the SecureDropSecureDrop is an open-source platform that lets whistleblowers securely and anonymously share information with journalists. Accessible through Tor, it protects sources by hiding their identity and enabling encrypted two-way communication with newsrooms. Many major outlets, including The Guardian and The Washington Post, use SecureDrop to receive sensitive documents. While it requires strict security practices, it has become a vital tool for press freedom in the digital age. More service—which enables anonymous document submission to journalists and publications—the release now includes the
sq-keyring-linterpackage. This tool improves the cryptographic parameters of PGP keys stored on isolated systems.