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April 14th, 2006

Is there media bias for Firefox over IE?

Posted by George Ou @ 2:31 am

Categories: Security

Tags:

Updated 5/15/2006 2:00 AM:  I got an email today pointing out that there was a new "Firefox Security and Stability Update" from Mozilla and I decided to check it out.  After following two links to "Several security fixes", I noticed there were quite a few vulnerabilities listed that were mostly rated by Mozilla as "critical".  I then went to and some of the popular security disclosure sites to see what they said about it and I found "Mozilla Products Memory Corruption and Information Disclosure Vulnerability" on FRSIRT which listed 22 vulnerabilities in Mozilla products.  Then as I was surfing the web for news, I noticed something that seemed a bit strange.  I saw two news stories stating to the effect "large number of Mozilla Firefox flaws patched".  Instead I saw the following headlines:

As I see these headlines, I thought the titles were a bit odd so I clicked on them.  Strangely, neither article mentioned the actual number of flaws. CNET’s story did mention "several security issues" but didn’t elaborate too much or say how many and eWeek’s story went as far as saying that there was only one critical hole to worry about.  [Update:  As more information was released after his original story, Joris Evers did update his CNET News story the following morning on 5/14/2006 which included more detailed information on the vulnerabilities.]  Both stories quoted Mozilla with comments like "Mozilla has released a new version of the Firefox Web browser with what is described as ’significant security and stability improvements.’" and both stories then diverged in to Intel-based Mac support for Mozilla Firefox.  Now there doesn’t really seem to be anything wrong with these two approaches if they are viewed in isolation, but last week the exact same two reporters took Microsoft to task with the following.

Right off the bat, both stories not only mention the number of flaws in the title but even uses words like "Monster" or "megapatch" to describe the flaws and we haven’t even clicked on the articles yet.  The actual stories themselves take Microsoft to task which was fine with me since I myself slammed Microsoft for not releasing an out-of-cycle patch for the latest zero-day flaw and in the past as well.  However, taken in the context of their latest reports on Mozilla flaws, there would seem to be some inconsistencies and maybe a double standard for Microsoft and Mozilla though it may be an opinion call.  But what do you think?  Before you answer the question, let’s try a little experiment first.  What if I reversed the headlines?  If there were no double standard, it shouldn’t matter right?  Well let’s see:

  • Microsoft update kills security bugs, adds Eolas compliance
  • Microsoft Plugs IE Code Execution Hole
  • ‘Critical’ megapatch sews up 22 holes in Mozilla
  • Mozilla Patch Day: 22 Flaws Fixed in Monster Mozilla Update

Ok I admit that was a really fun exercise, but it certainly does seem to speak volumes.

George Ou is Technical Director of ZDNet. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.

  • Talkback
  • Most Recent of 118 Talkback(s)
Remove IE
You can uninstall Firefox.
Don't use IE unless I have to.
Can't uninstall IE.
Isn't built as part of the OS?... (Read the rest)
Posted by: LordUthyr Posted on: 04/20/06 You are currently: a Guest | | Terms of Use
Something To It  Stephen Wheeler | 04/14/06
But does that really justify it?  george_ou | 04/14/06
Right?  jasonp@... | 04/14/06
History will repeat itself...  Anti_Zealot | 04/14/06
Cover ups!  xstep | 04/14/06
Media Bias Accurate?  nucrash | 04/15/06
Opinion  Stephen Wheeler | 04/19/06
Good point - IE is part of the OS  WiredGuy | 04/14/06
Good point  rapson | 04/14/06
The problem is  tombalablomba | 04/14/06
Of course there's bias.  Anton Philidor | 04/14/06
What I get for posting at 3:00 AM  george_ou | 04/14/06
Strange, it's been fixed but still shows up in talkback  george_ou | 04/14/06
Their you go again!  D. T. Schmitz | 04/14/06
Full disclosure time  toadlife | 04/17/06
bias has been obvious for years  diane wilson | 04/14/06
Conspiracy theory  Anti_Zealot | 04/14/06
Wrong Orwell Story  Yagotta B. Kidding | 04/15/06
FireFox is ungood.  Anton Philidor | 04/17/06
Click-driven bias  whisperycat | 04/14/06
Oh the Irony  D. T. Schmitz | 04/14/06
Two things....  LazLong | 04/14/06
Flashblock  D. T. Schmitz | 04/15/06
RE Flashblock.....  LazLong | 04/15/06
Less is Better  D. T. Schmitz | 04/15/06
copy edit  frankdoss | 04/14/06
Yup, sorry about that  george_ou | 04/14/06
Media reports what people want to hear  Prognosticator | 04/14/06
AGREE! Well, to some extent, at least...  shrikant.j | 04/14/06
Read your post  tombalablomba | 04/14/06
Broken Code  Kimbok@... | 04/14/06
let me explain  tombalablomba | 04/14/06
Bias  D. T. Schmitz | 04/14/06
A question  rapson | 04/14/06
ActiveX NOT  D. T. Schmitz | 04/14/06
Never said it did  rapson | 04/14/06
ActiveX...  John CarrollZDNet Moderator | 04/14/06
Oropedal insertions  Yagotta B. Kidding | 04/15/06
Right you are  anythingbutmine0 | 04/15/06
He (John) knoweth not of what he speaketh  D. T. Schmitz | 04/16/06
answering your question as best i can carl  Monkey_MCSE | 04/14/06
Extension security  Yagotta B. Kidding | 04/15/06
ActiveX[2]  D. T. Schmitz | 04/15/06
Of course there is  rapson | 04/14/06
Techno Frugen Grooven Jargon  D. T. Schmitz | 04/14/06
Yes, it is  rapson | 04/14/06
No I don't think I did  D. T. Schmitz | 04/14/06
Earned bias  tic swayback | 04/14/06
This is journalism? Shame on you  dl@... | 04/14/06
This is journalistic analysis?  larryl1234 | 04/14/06
maybe because....  doh123 | 04/14/06
Given that your Editor loves OOS, no surprise  No_Ax_to_Grind | 04/14/06
Interesting  Anti_Zealot | 04/14/06
ZDNet ownership  tic swayback | 04/14/06
ZDNet is owned by CNET Networks  george_ou | 04/14/06
Ownership....  tic swayback | 04/14/06
Let's get something straight, no body pulls strings here  george_ou | 04/14/06
Didn't mean to insinuate anything about your integrity  tic swayback | 04/14/06
I'm the minority here  georgeou | 04/15/06
That's not how you're perceived  tic swayback | 04/16/06
That's your PoV, and it's not surprising  georgeou | 04/16/06
Having a viewpoint is not a bad thing  tic swayback | 04/16/06
Nice try on Murph and Richard  georgeou | 04/16/06
Voice of Neutrality? You're kidding right George? (NT)  ju1ce | 04/17/06
Sorry George, not buying it  tic swayback | 04/17/06
But George does have an agenda.  Rick_K | 04/17/06
George - chill out  nizuse | 04/17/06
I for one  Len Rooney | 04/17/06
This wouldn't surprise me the least . . .  999ad@... | 04/17/06
Oh come off it.....  Cosmix | 04/14/06
You've identified a tipping point  NonCartoonist | 04/14/06
It depends  Shelendrea | 04/14/06
Have you read the stupid headlines when Apple does something like patching?  MacGeek2121 | 04/14/06
Pro-active vs. Reactive  999ad@... | 04/17/06
Ou-Weee!  Reverend MacFellow | 04/18/06
George, Please Correct Your Error  crescentdave | 04/14/06
Ten for IE includes multiple products  george_ou | 04/14/06
Dave is correct... Your Bias is showing... Yet Again or As Always..  LazLong | 04/14/06
Actually  tombalablomba | 04/14/06
Problem is he won't...  ju1ce | 04/17/06
And...  nomorems | 04/18/06
Bias Justfied  bigpicture | 04/14/06
E-mail on the $100 bargain OPEN S test CPU, or the $4000 M$ test machine?  zdnet reader | 04/14/06
$100 test machine for OSS and MS  george_ou | 04/14/06
Chill... you're overstating your case again  palmwarrior | 04/14/06
Say anything you want so long as it's true  george_ou | 04/14/06
And out of Context  nucrash | 04/15/06
Right so why not make your article more sensational?  ju1ce | 04/17/06
george_ou is a crazy assh beatch that thinks he can be a mil;lionR on MS  nomorems | 04/18/06
Aah... Yes.. That critical 200 meg file...  ju1ce | 04/17/06
Yes, that 200meg file  nizuse | 04/17/06
That bath tub is going to be overflowing.  zdnet reader | 04/17/06
CNET  larryl1234 | 04/14/06
Reads just like the words of an MS supporter, not those of one who supports  nomorems | 04/18/06
Bias for Firefox over IIE  lsatenstein@... | 04/14/06
George, You're Still MISTAKEN.  crescentdave | 04/15/06
10 exploits is twice as many as 22?  nucrash | 04/15/06
And (as No_Ax would write)  nomorems | 04/18/06
Is *THERE* media bias for Firefox over IE?  Robert Crocker | 04/15/06
Not bias, acknowledgement  RStiennon | 04/16/06
Living in the future  D. T. Schmitz | 04/16/06
Are Geoge Ou's stories biased against OSS?  Chad_z | 04/17/06
What I would love to see is true neutrality...  ju1ce | 04/17/06
Yeah, beautiful MS only sharepoint. Ever ...  nomorems | 04/18/06
In security it's......Not so much as what "could" happen  Laff | 04/17/06
"Nothing and no one is perfect "  nomorems | 04/18/06
Lumbering down the road in my 50 Million lines of code Winebago  WinnebagoBoy | 04/17/06
Put in simpliest terms  maldain | 04/17/06
Headline writers aren't journalists  maldain | 04/17/06
Sure the press is bias. It's called sensationalism!  MacGeek2121 | 04/17/06
Used IE recently? Did you enjoy it?  dtfinch | 04/18/06
semantics  fallentech | 04/20/06
Funny how there isn't the same rabid ranting...  Scrat | 04/18/06
Simple answer  Rick_K | 04/18/06
Crap, crap and more crap....  Scrat | 04/18/06
But you fotget  Rick_K | 04/19/06
Defenitely Biased attitudes  Aaron A Baker | 04/19/06
Remove IE  LordUthyr | 04/20/06

What do you think?

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