Opera screeches at Mozilla over security disclosure

[Osiris]

Opera has taken exception to the manner in which Mozilla handled the disclosure of a security bug that affects both firm's browsers. The moderate severity flaw involving file input controls creates a means to upload arbitrary files, assuming hackers know the full path and name of the file.
Mozilla fixed the flaw, along with other more serious bugs, with the release of Firefox 2.0.0.12 on 7 February. Opera, which is yet to plug the moderate risk flaw, objected to the Mozilla team publishing an advisory on the issue.
document.write('\x3Cscript src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/adj/reg.security.4159/enterprise;'+RegExCats+GetVCs()+'pid='+RegId+RegDT +';'+RegKW+'maid='+maid+';test='+test+';pf='+RegPF +';dcove=d;sz=336x280;tile=3;ord=' + rand + '?" type="text/javascript">\x3C\/script>');
Claudio Santambrogio, an Opera desktop developer, said the Mozilla team notified it of a security issue only a day before publishing an advisory. This gave the Norwegian software developers insufficient time to make an evaluation. "They did not wait for us to come back with an ETA for a fix: they kept their bug reports containing the details of the exploits closed to the public for a few days, and now opened most of them to everybody," Santambrogio writes.
Santambrogio goes on to attack Mozilla's handling of the issue, arguing that it places Opera users at unnecessary risk. "Opera is as always committed to not only protecting its users, but to making the Web a safe place. We believe in responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities affecting several vendors," Santambrogio adds.
Nobody from the Mozilla Corporation was available for comment at the time of going to press.

Opera screeches at Mozilla over security disclosure | The Register

[Mak213]

They have a valid point. When there were flaws that affected Firefox as well as Opera, the Opera developers gave them the info right away so they could get a fix working. This is just low ball tactics by Mozilla so they can try and claim they have the safest browser out there while putting others at risk.

[Trotter]

notified it of a security issue only a day before publishing an advisory

This was before the advisory, not the update. Dude is ticked because they didn't have time to decide if they thought it was a threat or not.

People do this all the time, and with all the browsers. Instead of letting the developers know about it, people post it up online for others to capitalize on.

Yeah, Mozilla should have let Opera know as soon a they did. Nothing is stated as far as if Mozilla sat on the info or declared it a day after they got it. Sort of hard to make a definite call without the whole story.

[Mak213]

they kept their bug reports containing the details of the exploits closed to the public for a few days

That tells me that they could have at least said something a couple days ago.

It is not like i am worried. Opera will haev it analyzed and patched if needed by the weekend. They always do.

[Trotter]

Yep yep. It would be nice if we could get the big dogs to play nice together, though.