Mozilla has released a set of security updates for versions 1.5 and 2.0 of the Firefox Web browser and for two other software packages: Thunderbird, an e-mail client, and SeaMonkey, a suite of programs that includes a chat client and a tool to build Web sites.

"As part of the Firefox 2.0.0.1 and 1.5.0.9 update releases we fixed several bugs to improve the stability of the product," Mozilla said in a published statement. "Some of these were crashes that showed evidence of memory corruption and we presume that at least some of these could be exploited to run arbitrary code with enough effort."

Mozilla has rated most of the updates "critical," while security-firm Secunia has labeled them "highly critical."

The updates patch a wide range of flaws in Mozilla's products, from problems with RSS feeds to the way that JavaScript is used in e-mail.

Other problems fixed by the latest updates include the way the browser renders graphics on certain Web sites and the way it renders custom cursors through Cascading Style Sheets.

Mozilla's browser is widely believed to be safer than Microsoft's Internet Explorer. More than 80 percent of all Web surfers use Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Mozilla owns 10 percent of the browser market and it’s becoming more and more popular.

Anyone who finds a Mozilla-related security vulnerability can report it by sending e-mail to security@mozilla.org.

written by Cristian L.