Technology

Here's how to update Google Chrome after government's 'cyber-attack' warning

Written by Saptak Datta

Edited by Siddhant Pandey

Dec 15, 2021, 12:09 pm 2 min read

Here's how to update Google Chrome after government's 'cyber-attack' warning — Multiple vulnerabilities in Chrome have been discovered as a result of Type Confusion in V8, said CERT-In.

The Indian government has issued a warning for people who frequently use the Google Chrome browser. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), issued the "high severity" warning. Multiple vulnerabilities in Chrome have been discovered as a result of Type Confusion in V8, said the watchdog. CERT-In advised users to immediately update their browsers.

Why does it matter?

Google Chrome stands out to be the most used browser in the country, both on mobile phones and computers.
Attackers might utilize the browser to execute arbitrary code on users' systems, according to the CERT-In.
The government has discovered a number of flaws in the browser that might allow an attacker to steal users' personal information or install malware on a machine.

What did the CERT-In advisory say?

"Multiple vulnerabilities exists in Google Chrome due to Type Confusion in V8; Use after free in web apps, UI, window manager, screen capture, file API, auto-fill and developer tools; Incorrect security UI in autofill; Heap buffer overflow in extensions, BFCache and ANGLE;Type Confusion in loader; Insufficient data validation in loader; Integer underflow in ANGLE and Insufficient validation of untrusted input in new tab page."

What was Google's response?

To ensure privacy, Google released 22 different security upgrades to prevent hackers from remotely controlling users' computers. "External researchers" identified these fixes, Google said. The software giant announced 96.0.4664.93 as the stable build for Windows, Mac, and Linux. An "extended stable channel" for Windows and Mac will be released in the coming weeks, it added.

How to update your Chrome browser?

Launch the Chrome web browser. Click on the three dots on the top right corner. Move the cursor down to 'Help' and then click on 'About Google Chrome.' The browser will then display the build and begin updating if there is a pending update. The user will be asked to restart Google Chrome. The updated version will offer better protection.

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Saptak Datta

Saptak Datta covers national and political news for NewsBytes. He has previously worked with Zenger News as a correspondent. Over a career spanning more than a year, his work has focused on international affairs and defense. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune.

Siddhant Pandey

Siddhant Pandey covers national and health news at NewsBytes. He has over five years of experience working as a multimedia journalist covering hard news in New Delhi. He was previously employed with The Indian Express and News World India and has juggled roles as a correspondent, copy editor, and video producer. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida.