Mozilla's latest browser ushers in a bunch of new features and security enhancements, but not everyone is impressed with Firefox 3.6. Among the browser's critics is the German federal computer security agency.

"Buerger-CERT recommends the use of [an] alternative browser until Mozilla has released Firefox version 3.6.2," Buerger-CERT, a project of the Federal Office for Security in IT, posted last Friday.

The recommendation is in reaction to a vulnerability disclosed by Russian researcher Evgeny Legerov, which as since been confirmed by Mozilla.

Mozilla plans to patch Firefox 3.6 by March 30 at the latest. In the meantime, there's now a beta version of 3.6.2 available, which reportedly does include the patch in question.

Those of you eager to give Firefox's next browser a release a spin can now do so, however bear in mind that this isn't the official beta launch. Instead, Mozilla today has made available for download an experimental test build of Firefox 3.6.

"A beta is indeed available, but I would like to clarify that the Beta program for Firefox 3.6 has not yet launched, this is a test build, not necessarily Firefox 3.6 Beta 1," Patrick Finch from Mozilla wrote.

If the test build status doesn't scare you off, downloading the new release gives you access to a few new goodies. Included in Firefox 3.6 is the Gecko 1.9.2 engine, tab previews (use CTRL and Tab to switch between tabs), thumbnail taskbar previews for Windows 7 users, an automated plug-in checker, and of course more improvements to the all-important JavaScript engine.

What you won't find in this early release is the orientation detection feature Mozilla recently announced. Nevertheless, you can snag a copy of the build right here.