Google has urgently updated its Chrome browser across all platforms after a critical vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-4671, was found being actively exploited.
Users are strongly advised to update their browsers immediately to prevent potential security breaches.
The vulnerability, tagged with a high severity rating, involves a use-after-free error in the Visuals component of the Chrome browser.
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This flaw could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on the victim’s machine remotely. The issue was reported anonymously on May 7, 2024, and has since been confirmed to be exploited in the wild.
Google has responded swiftly with a patch to address this security loophole. The affected versions of Chrome include all builds before 124.0.6367.201/.202.
To close this vulnerability, the updated versions—124.0.6367.201/.202 for Mac and Windows and 124.0.6367.201 for Linux—have been rolled out.
How to Update Google Chrome
To ensure protection against this exploit, users should update their Chrome browser by following these steps:
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click on the three dots in the upper right corner to open the menu.
- Navigate to Help > About Google Chrome.
- The browser will automatically check for updates and prompt for installation if an update is available.
Android users can check and install updates via the Google Play Store under “Manage apps & device” where Chrome can be updated if a new version is listed.
This incident underscores the importance of keeping software current, especially as attackers continually seek to exploit any vulnerabilities in widely used applications like web browsers.
Google has thanked the security research community for detecting such vulnerabilities early, which helps mitigate potential threats before they can cause widespread damage.
Google also encourages users to participate in its Chrome Beta community to access new features and security updates ahead of regular releases.
However, the Beta version does not replace the stable release.
For further assistance or to report new issues, users can contact the Chrome community help forum or directly file a bug report.
The quick identification and patching of CVE-2024-4671 reflect the ongoing challenges and responses in the digital security landscape.
Users must remain vigilant and proactive in updating their software to protect against such vulnerabilities.
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