Why You Need to Update Chrome Right Now
Security updates are important and you shouldn’t ignore them. However, while apps and browsers like Chrome will remind you when it’s time to upgrade, you can also be blissfully unaware that even one is available, putting you at a security risk. This is just one of those moments.
On Monday, February 14, Google announced a new update for Chrome version 98.0.4758.102 that fixes 11 security threats in the previous build of the browser. While fixing security holes is always good advice, there’s another reason this update is key: Google has acknowledged that of these 11 security flaws, one has an exploit that “exists in the wild.” Basically, someone outside of Google is aware of this security flaw and can take advantage of it if they haven’t already.
This particular flaw is [$NA][ 1296150 ] High CVE-2022-0609: Use after free use in animation. Exploitation after the freeware vulnerability , or UAF, concerns a program’s dynamic memory. This happens when a program clears a memory location but does not clear a pointer to that memory, allowing an attacker to hack that particular program.
Google did not say if this exploit was used or by whom. However, the fact that it exists is more than enough to immediately update Chrome on your Mac or PC.
To update, click on the three dots in the top right corner of the Chrome window, then choose Help > About Google Chrome . Allow Chrome to check for updates. If 98.0.4758.102 is available, you will see a message about it here. Just click “Restart” for the update to take effect.
Chrome is not the only browser that has recently been found to have critical security flaws. Apple recently released two updates to Safari; The latest update fixed a WebKit security flaw that could allow hackers to run malicious code, and the previous update fixed a serious JavaScript API bug that could allow attackers to extract personal information from other open tabs in your browser.
[ Tom’s Guide ]