New Release: Tor Browser 14.5.1

The Tor Project has officially released Tor Browser 14.5.1, featuring numerous security enhancements and new tools aimed at strengthening privacy and improving usability for users worldwide.

Tor Browser 14.5.1 is available to download from the Tor Browser download page and also from the distribution directory.

What is Tor?

Tor is a free, open-source overlay network designed to enable anonymous communication. It operates through a global network of over 7,000 volunteer-run relays, allowing users to route their internet traffic along a randomized path through these nodes

By doing so, Tor makes it significantly harder to trace a user's online activity. No single point in the network—aside from the user's own device—can simultaneously determine both the origin and destination of the traffic. This helps conceal the user's location and online behavior from surveillance or traffic analysis, thereby supporting privacy, confidentiality, and freedom of communication.

Tor Browser

The Tor Browser is a web browser designed to access the Tor network. Initially launched as the Tor Browser Bundle by Steven J. Murdoch in January 2008, it integrates a customized version of Mozilla Firefox ESR along with several components: TorButton, TorLauncher, NoScript, and the Tor proxy.

Compatible with Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux, the Tor Browser can also be run directly from removable media. It automatically launches the necessary Tor background processes and routes internet traffic through the Tor network.

By default, the browser uses DuckDuckGo as its search engine (previously Startpage.com until version 4.5). At the end of each browsing session, it deletes privacy-sensitive data such as HTTP cookies and browsing history. These measures help reduce web tracking, minimize canvas fingerprinting, and mitigate the formation of filter bubbles.

To support users in regions where access to the Tor Project website is blocked or considered unsafe, a GitHub repository provides alternative download links hosted on other domains.

How Tor works

Tor is designed to protect users' identities and online activities from surveillance and traffic analysis by separating identity from routing. It uses a technique called onion routing, where communications are encrypted and relayed through a random series of volunteer-operated nodes around the world. This layered encryption—resembling the layers of an onion—provides strong privacy, including perfect forward secrecy between relays, and ensures that users remain anonymous within the network.

Tor also supports anonymous publishing through its onion services, enabling censorship-resistant hosting. By using hidden entry points known as bridge relays, which are not publicly listed, users can bypass censorship systems that block access to known Tor nodes.

Since no single point in the network ever has access to both the sender’s and recipient’s IP addresses in plain text, eavesdroppers cannot trace communication paths end-to-end. To the final destination, it appears that the connection originates from the exit node—the last Tor relay—rather than the actual sender.

Security Levels in Tor Browser

Tor browser provides three security levels, tailored to individual user needs. These options can be accessed under the "Security Level" icon (the small gray shield in the top-right corner) > Advanced Security Settings. In addition to encrypting data and frequently rotating an IP address through a series of randomly selected Tor relays, Tor offers several other security layers:

1. Standard At this level, all features of the Tor Browser and websites are enabled without restrictions.
2. Safer This level disables potentially harmful website features, which may cause some sites to lose functionality. JavaScript is turned off on non-HTTPS sites, and some fonts and mathematical symbols are blocked. Additionally, audio and video (HTML5 media) are set to "click-to-play."
3. Safest The highest security level, which only permits essential features for static websites and basic services. This level disables JavaScript by default on all sites, and some fonts, icons, math symbols, and images are blocked. Audio and video (HTML5 media) are also set to "click-to-play."

Tor Browser 14.5.1 Update Overview

The latest release brings a major security upgrade by rebasing the browser on Firefox 128.10.0esr, ensuring all critical patches and fixes are current. To further bolster defenses, selected security patches from Firefox 138 have also been backported.

A significant anti-censorship enhancement includes updating the anti-censorship.gpg keyring with the latest public key from contributor shelikhoo, strengthening the trustworthiness of censorship circumvention tools.

On desktop platforms (Windows, macOS, and Linux), new tabs now default to the Tor Browser Home (about:tor), offering a unified and privacy-focused starting point across systems.

A long-standing issue with letterboxing has been resolved—incorrect initial window sizes when the interface font size was set to 13px are now fixed, improving fingerprinting resistance.

Android users benefit from an upgrade to GeckoView 128.10.0esr, bringing the same security foundation and improved performance as the desktop version.

The build system also receives an efficiency boost with a mechanism that skips update checks for versions lacking incremental or full update files—reducing errors and streamlining the update process.

The Tor Project welcomes user feedback on this release. Anyone encountering bugs or with ideas for improvements is encouraged to contribute, supporting the ongoing effort to deliver private, secure, and censorship-resistant browsing for all.

Changelog Key Highlights

Since Tor Browser 14.5:

• This version includes important security updates to Firefox.
• Upgraded to Firefox 128.10.0esr (desktop) and GeckoView 128.10.0esr (Android).
• Security patches from Firefox 138 have been backported.
• The anti-censorship keyring has been updated with a new public key.
• New tabs now default to "about:tor" on desktop.
• Fixed an issue with letterbox sizing at a 13px font size.
• Enhanced the build system for smoother updates.

Download Tor Browser 64-bit version here

Download Tor Browser 32-bit version here

View: Tor Browser Website | Other Operating Systems