Update Chrome! Patch fixes major bug hackers are exploiting
Google’s Chrome browser is super popular, with nearly 3 billion installations globally. Chrome is relatively safe to use if you’ve set it up correctly. Tap or click here for ways to make it even safer to use.
But you must keep your programs, including web browsers, up to date to fend off newly found cybersecurity threats. Google recently discovered a dangerous zero-day threat to its Chrome browser.
Read on for the latest issue found in Chrome and why you must update immediately.
Here’s the backstory
Google’s Chrome is no stranger to bugs. The tech giant generally sends Chrome updates every few weeks to add helpful new features or patch bugs.
But sometimes, a flaw is so critical that it warrants immediate action. That happened with Chrome recently, as Google rushed out an emergency patch for vulnerabilities that hackers are already exploiting.
The update fixes the eighth zero-day exploit for the browser in 2022, which Clement Lecigne of Google’s Threat Analysis Group discovered last week. The patch brings the browser to version 107.0.5304.121 for Mac and Linux and version 107.0.5304.121/.122 for Windows.
The flaw has the designation CVE-2022-4135, and Google knows that an exploit exists in the wild. That means hackers know about it and could be exploiting the bug now. That’s why you must update ASAP.
As usual, Google didn’t go into detail about the workings of the flaw, as this could put users at risk who haven’t updated yet. But according to Bleeping Computer, the threat could be exploited by cybercriminals to access your information and run arbitrary code.
What you can do about it
Google says that the update is gradually rolling out for everyone over the next couple of days, but there is a good chance that it’s already available to most people in the U.S. and Canada.
Updating Chrome is easy. Here’s how:
- Open your Chrome browser.
- Tap the three vertical dots to the right of your profile icon in the upper right corner.
- From the drop-down menu, hover over Help and select About Google Chrome.
This will automatically initiate the updating process, and if a new version is available, it will start downloading. Once installed, you might need to relaunch Chrome for the update to take effect.
Keep reading
Speed up your computer with this simple Google Chrome extension
These five malicious Chrome extensions were installed 1.4 million times — Here’s how to delete them
Tags: browser, bug, computer, cybercriminals, cybersecurity, cybersecurity threats, exploit, extension, Google, Google Chrome, hackers, malicious, patch, threat, update, web browsers, zero-day exploits