Google has just issued an emergency patch for its Chrome browser.
Users should immediately update their ChromeOS in order to fix the latest zero-day vulnerability. If your automatic updates are turned on, relaunching the browser window should do the trick.
This is Google's sixth emergency update across 2023.
How to Ensure You Are Up to Date
If you're a Windows user, you'll need to have the most recent Chrome update, which is identified as “119.0.6045.199/.200.”
You can check this by heading to “Settings” and clicking the “About Google” tab. If automatic updates are turned on, Google will take a minute to download the new update, and you can then click the “Relaunch” button in order to activate the latest version, protecting you from the newly-fixed vulnerability.
If you have a Mac or a Linux system, the updated version you're looking for to ensure you are safe is called “119.0.6045.199.”
What's the Problem This Time?
Google has a little background on the big vulnerability: It's related to “Integer overflow in Skia” and was reported by Benoît Sevens and Clément Lecigne of Google's Threat Analysis Group as of last Friday.
Google notes that this particular bug has “an exploit” that “exists in the wild” — their way of saying that a hacking group could have done some damage through this vulnerability.
“Skia” refers to an open-source 2D graphics library, and the vulnerability could have executed code that would have crashed the system.
Staying Secure Online
Chrome is the biggest browser available today, and there's no denying that they're staying on top of their bug fixes this year. Granted, it might be a little more comforting if they never announced any problems, but Google has been quick to highlight their solutions, and all you need to do is keep updating to their recommendations.
Chrome's data collection and ad-tracking policies might give some pause, but they're undoubtedly a secure browser for anyone trying to stay safe from hacking groups.
If you're truly dedicated to shoring up any data leaks that could sink your ship of cybersecurity, we recommend considering one of the best enterprise password managers or the best VPNs for business use, both of which add another layer of security.
