Update Your Browser! Google Plugs 21 Security Holes in Chrome for Desktop and Mobile

If you’re an avid Google Chrome user, it’s highly recommended that you update to the latest version to keep potential hacker attacks at bay.

Google this week rolled out the latest version of its popular web browser – Chrome 126 for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS.

In typical fashion, the release brings an array of new features and improvements, as well as a healthy dose of security fixes – 21 in total, with almost half labelled as serious issues that motivated attackers could try and exploit.

Issues tagged as high risk can be exploited to execute malicious code on the target machine. Attacks can be even more effective if the threat actor chains together exploits for multiple unpatched vulnerabilities.

Know the risks

Security flaws like these have been historically leveraged to deploy data-stealing malware, like spyware, in targeted attacks against high-profile individuals.

Spyware is designed to collect various types of sensitive information, such as keystrokes, login credentials and personal messages. It can be used to monitor a user's activities, including web browsing history, and application usage.

Mercenary spyware can capture screenshots of the user's screen, take photos using the device’s built-in cameras, and record sounds with the phone’s mic. Worst of all, spyware runs silently in the background without the user's knowledge, collecting data over an extended period. The data is then transmitted to a remote server controlled by the attacker.

Update sooner rather than later

Bitdefender strongly recommends deploying the latest software updates issued by the software/hardware vendor as soon as they’re available. Most software updates include important security fixes, so staying up to date greatly reduces the attack surface.

According to the Bitdefender 2024 Consumer Cybersecurity Assessment Report, few people consider themselves an actual target for cybercriminals, yet consumers still engage in complacent cybersecurity practices, making it imperative to employ dedicated security on our personal devices.