Firefox 115.0.1 fixes a startup crash

Mozilla has released Firefox 115.0.1, the first point release for Firefox 115. The update addresses a startup crash in the web browser that affects users of certain security software.

The browser update is available already and most Firefox installations should receive it automatically. Affected users may have difficulties upgrading the browser by selecting Menu > Help > About Firefox; they may head over to the official Firefox website to download the latest version manually and install this way on their devices.

Only Firefox users affected by the startup crash issue should feel any hurry to update to the new version. Since the point release addresses only the single issue, most users of the browser have no benefit installing it.

Mozilla writes on the official release notes page: "Fixed a startup crash for Windows users with Kingsoft Antivirus software installed".

Firefox users who have installed Kingsoft Antivirus or Kingsoft Internet Security on their devices may experience startup crashes. Kingsoft Antivirus is developed by the Chinese software company Kingsoft Corporation. The company is best known for its WPS line of software products such as WPS Office.

Kingsoft Antivirus is available for Windows operating systems only. It can be downloaded from the official website, which is available in Chinese only.

Mozilla's bug report offers insights on the issue. The organization noticed an increase in crashes that it could link directly to a DLL file used by Kingsoft's security software. The crash affects Firefox on Windows 7 and newer versions of the Windows operating system only and occurs if the latest version of the Kingsoft application is installed.

Mozilla added the file kisfdpro64.dll to the browser's blocklist, which prevents the loading of it as a third-party module in Firefox. Only the latest version and earlier version are affected. When Kingsoft releases an update, it may be loaded normally again. There is a chance that the issue is not fixed when the update is released. Mozilla will then add the new version to the blocklist as well.

Firefox 115.0.1 comes just a few days after the official release of Firefox 115. Firefox 115 is a milestone release, as it is the base for the latest Firefox ESR version. It is also the last version of Firefox Stable for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, and macOS 10.12, 10.13 and 10.14. These are all migrated to Firefox's ESR channel to receive support until September 2024.

Now You: when was the last time your favorite browser crashed?

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