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Attention Chrome users! Big risk! CERT-In warns of dangerous security holes: How to save your data
Critical security holes in Chrome! Update now to protect your data from hackers. CERT-In warns of high-risk vulnerabilities – Patch available in Chrome 126.0.6478.114 or later.
India’s computer security team, CERT-In, just sent an urgent message about critical vulnerabilities in Google Chrome for desktops. These holes are severe, and CERT-In is telling everyone to take action immediately to protect their systems from getting hacked.
These vulnerabilities are described in detail in CERT-In’s Vulnerability Note CIVN-2024-0193. They affect any version of Google Chrome earlier than 126.0.6478.114/115 on Windows and Mac, and earlier than 126.0.6478.114 on Linux. If you haven’t updated yet, your Chrome is wide open to attack!
The problems come from several issues in Chrome’s code:
- Type Confusion in V8: This is a bug in Chrome’s JavaScript engine that can cause crashes.
- Memory Access Issues in Dawn: Dawn is a graphics library used by Chrome, and it has flaws that allow attackers to access parts of memory they shouldn’t.
- Reusing Freed Memory in Dawn: This means Chrome is trying to use memory that it’s already finished with, which can lead to unpredictable behavior and even letting attackers run their code on your computer.
These vulnerabilities are a big deal. A remote attacker could trick you into visiting a malicious website that activates these holes. Once that happens, the attacker could take control of your computer and steal your data, mess with your system, or even spread malware.
To protect yourself, CERT-In says you should do two things right away:
- Update Google Chrome to version 126.0.6478.114 or later. Google has fixed these vulnerabilities in this update. You can find the update and instructions on the official Google Chrome Releases blog.
- Turn on automatic updates if you haven’t already. This way, you’ll always get the latest security patches whenever they come out.
Finally, be careful about clicking on links you don’t recognize. Phishing scams often use scary or exciting messages to lure people into visiting malicious websites.
These vulnerabilities are very serious, so all Google Chrome users should update their browsers as soon as possible. Don’t wait – update now and keep your data safe!
