Chrome users, government has issued a security warning: Check if you are affected and all other details

Chrome

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a high-severity warning for Google Chrome users. The advisory highlights multiple vulnerabilities that could compromise users’ data and devices’ security. The government body has also asked people to follow certain guidelines to mitigate potential threats.

What’s the warning

CERT-In has detected multiple security vulnerabilities in Google Chrome for desktop. These vulnerabilities could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code, manipulate data, steal sensitive information, or cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition. Attackers can exploit these flaws by tricking users into visiting specially crafted malicious web pages.

Devices and versions affected

The security flaws impact the following versions of Google Chrome:
Versions prior to 134.0.6998.88/.89 for Windows and macOS
Versions prior to 134.0.6998.88 for Linux

Users running these versions on desktop platforms must update their browsers immediately to avoid potential security risks.

Why do these security flaws exist in Chrome?

The vulnerabilities exist due to multiple issues within Chrome’s architecture, including:

Type confusion in V8: This can lead to unexpected program behavior and memory corruption.

Out-of-bounds write in GPU on macOS: This can allow attackers to alter critical data and compromise the system.

Out-of-bounds read in V8: This can expose sensitive information stored in memory.

Use-after-free in Inspector: This can lead to arbitrary code execution and potential system crashes.

These flaws make it easier for attackers to exploit unsuspecting users, leading to severe security consequences.

What you should do right now

To protect against these vulnerabilities, users must update their Chrome browser immediately. Follow these steps:

Open Google Chrome.
Click on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
Go to Help > About Google Chrome.
If an update is available, Chrome will automatically download and install it.
Restart the browser to complete the update.