Firefox 153 Released: JPEG XL, PDF Tools, and Restrictions for Extensions

The Mozilla project has unveiled the latest version of its browser — Firefox 153.0. The release includes several notable changes affecting both user privacy and everyday work with documents and images.

Privacy and Security

One of the key new features concerns extensions. The default permissions for accessing local files have been changed: restrictions on reaching the local network (LAN) are now enabled for all users. This reduces the risk that an installed add-on could interact with devices and services inside the user's home or corporate network without their knowledge.

In addition, the browser has gained a visual indicator that shows when a website is accessing the user's location data. This explicit notification makes working with geolocation more transparent.

Security advisories listing the vulnerabilities fixed in this version have also been published alongside the release.

Working with PDFs and Images

Firefox 153 expands the built-in capabilities for working with PDF files. You can now merge several PDF documents directly in the browser, as well as add images as separate pages within a PDF. This turns the built-in viewer into a more self-sufficient tool for basic document editing.

Experimental support for the JPEG XL image format deserves special mention. This modern format promises better compression while preserving quality, and its arrival in Firefox — albeit in experimental form for now — can be seen as a step toward the wider adoption of JPEG XL on the web.

For Developers

The full list of changes affecting web developers is provided in the release notes. As usual, the new version combines user-facing improvements with work on security and standards compliance.

Source: LWN.net