Tails 7.8 Released: Critical Kernel Vulnerabilities Patched and Thunderbird Updated

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Tails 7.8 Released: Critical Kernel Vulnerabilities Patched and Thunderbird Updated

First seen 21 May 2026, 16:20 UTC • •70.5

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ThreatCluster •May 22, 2026 at 16:11 UTC

•Tails 7.8 patches critical kernel vulnerabilities, including CVE-2026-46300.
•Thunderbird is now an optional add-on to improve security and update frequency.
•Users must enable specific functions in persistent storage to access the new Thunderbird version.

The Tails operating system has released version 7.8, addressing multiple kernel vulnerabilities including CVE-2026-46300, which has a CVSS score of 7.8, indicating a high risk. The update also removes the Thunderbird email client from the base system, offering it only as an add-on to ensure users can maintain an up-to-date version. This change aims to mitigate security risks associated with outdated software versions included in previous Tails releases. The new version includes automatic updates for Thunderbird, enhancing user security. Users are advised to activate the 'Additional Software' and 'Thunderbird Email Client' functions in persistent storage to utilize this feature. The update also includes a patched sandbox escape vulnerability related to Flatpaks. The Tor Browser is updated to version 15.0.14, which addresses several security issues. Tails 7.8 is available for USB and DVD installations, allowing users to navigate the web anonymously.

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Updated 139d ago How this analysis works

Timeline

2026-05-21

Tails 7.8 released

Tails 7.8 addresses multiple kernel vulnerabilities and updates Thunderbird as an add-on to enhance security.

2026-05-21

CVE-2026-46300 disclosed

CVE-2026-46300 is identified as a high-risk kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.8, affecting Tails.

Recent

Thunderbird migration feature introduced

A new dialog called 'Thunderbird Migration' is included to simplify the transition for users.

More articles in this cluster (2)

Threat Graph

6 entities, 5 inferred relationships (STIX 2.1).

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Vulnerability (3)

CVE-2026-46300
DirtyFrag
Fragnesia

Weakness (1)

CWE-269 - Improper Privilege Management

Technique (1)

T1068 - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Affected Platform (1)

Linux

Relationships

CVE-2026-46300 targets Linux
DirtyFrag targets Linux
Fragnesia targets Linux
T1068 - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation targets Linux
CVE-2026-46300 related to CWE-269 - Improper Privilege Management

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