Tor Browser 8.5 released: security fixes and stable Android version

[harlan4096]

The Tor Project announced the release of Tor Browser 8.5 for all supported operating systems on May 22, 2019. The new Tor Browser version includes important security fixes, and it is the first stable version released for the Android operating system.

Tor Browser is based on Firefox ESR code. Mozilla released Firefox 67 and a new ESR version 60.7.0 on Tuesday. The new version of Firefox introduced new features in the browser and patched several security issues including two rated critical, the highest impact rating.

Tor Browser 8.5

Tor Browser 8.5 is available as a download for the supported desktop operating systems Windows, Linux, and Mac OS, on the official project website. Tor Browser 8.5 for Android, the first stable version, is available on Google Play. The developers promise that it will land on F-Droid, an alternate Android application marketplace, in the coming days as well.

Tor Browser 8.5 is the first stable version of Tor for Android. We reviewed the first version that the Tor Project team released for Android, and you may want to check it out as it provides a good overview of the functionality of the app.

Tor Browser for Android "provides essentially the same protections that can be found on desktop platforms" even though there are some "feature gaps" according to a post on the official Tor blog.

We made sure there are no proxy bypasses, that first-party isolation is enabled to protect you from cross-site tracking, and that most of the fingerprinting defenses are working. While there are still feature gaps between the desktop and Android Tor Browser, we are confident that Tor Browser for Android provides essentially the same protections that can be found on desktop platforms.

The security slider, a tool used to display and set the security level used, is now available on the main toolbar. A click displays the current security level and a link to the settings to change it.

The version has three new issues currently:

* Accessibility Support is "still not perfect".
* Bug reports suggest WebGL related fingerprinting is possible.
* The upgrade breaks saved logins and passwords.

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