Opera gets into the 6.0 race!

Opera Software said it has fixed a security problem in the latest version of its Web browser, which will be officially released Thursday.

The updated Opera 6.0 closes a security hole involving JavaScript that allowed malicious programmers to gain unauthorized access to certain files--the first known security vulnerability associated with the Opera browser, which first appeared in 1996. It also fixes several other issues, including problems accessing Web pages.

"This is the first time we had such (a security) issue, and obviously it's embarrassing," said Jon S. von Tetzchner, chief executive of the Oslo, Norway-based company. "But at least...we have fixed it."

Opera 6.0 lets people read online content that is written in non-Roman alphabets, such as Chinese and Japanese. The browser also offers enhanced display windows, including a choice of single or multiple document interfaces.

Opera 6.0 for Windows is available for free if the Web user agrees to view advertising. An ad-free version, however, requires a one-time registration fee of $39.

News source: CNet News