A Bug Puts Chrome Users At Risk: How To Protect Yourself

A new zero-day exploit for Google Chrome, the seventh patched this year. A browser update fixes the bug that puts sensitive data at risk.

Zero-day exploits top the list regarding online security threats, and Google Chrome’s ubiquity makes the browser a prevalent vector. Such security holes can endanger millions of users who rely on Big G daily. The new zero-day exploit adds to the list of numerous identified and fixed by the Chrome developer team this year.

ALSO READ: How To Add An App To Microsoft Teams

They are called 0-day precisely because the developer had “zero days” to fix the flaw in the program before anyone could write an exploit for it.

The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2022-3723, was first reported, according to BleepingComputer, on October 25 as a “confusing” exploit by researchers at cybersecurity company Avast and detected in V8, the JavaScript engine used. From Chrome and other browsers to run scripts contained on websites. The same day Big G was notified of the matter but did not disclose whether one or more hackers had actively exploited this bug.

Zero-Day Exploit: Sensitive Data At Risk

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to access portions of the device’s memory that are traditionally out of reach if exploited. In the worst case, therefore, a hacker could examine the sensitive data that the apps installed on the device are working on. Cases involving programs such as PHP, Adobe Flash and Mozilla Firefox are known in the past.

Google rated the impact of the vulnerability as “high”. The good news is that Big G has fixed the vulnerability and that Chrome desktop users can now access the update with the security patch available for macOS, Linux and Windows, with version number 107.0.5304.87/88. The company hides more details on the issue as it rolls out the update that will happen automatically on most systems.

How To Update Chrome Now

On the other hand, those wishing to receive the update immediately must carry out a manual check. To proceed with this update, you need to access the Chrome settings menu by clicking on the ⋮ screen’s symbol in the upper right corner. The drop-down menu that opens will show the Settings item towards the end.

At this point, it is necessary to click on About Chrome at the bottom of the menu on the left, and the system will independently verify the presence of the updated and secure version. Then, if present, the latest version with the security patch will be detected and installed. Once this procedure has been carried out, click on Restart to install the update.