Your security is critical to a positive web surfing experience, and Google is constantly pushing updates to Chrome so you'll stay protected from malicious websites. Some security flaws inevitably fall through the cracks — a reminder you should always use the latest version of Chrome. There's a newly discovered Chrome exploit being actively exploited today, and while Google promptly released a fix for it, there's a chance you could still be running an old, vulnerable version. Let's take a look at what you need to do to make sure you're safe.

Google recently pushed out Chrome 91.0.4472.164 to Android and desktop devices, fixing a number of security flaws. One of them, labeled CVE-2021-30563, is a zero-day exploit that hackers are already taking advantage of. While the company isn't disclosing details on how the exploit works, a tracker reports that the zero-day takes advantage of a bug in Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine. A remote attacker could execute arbitrary code by tricking users into visiting a malicious website and triggering a type confusion error within V8. Successful exploitation could cause a system to be compromised entirely.

How to update Chrome

Google made it clear on its announcement yesterday that that Chrome users should update right now to stay safe. Your device should automatically fetch Chrome 91.0.4472.164, but if it doesn't, here's how you can manually update:

Chrome for desktop platforms

Since this vulnerability is rooted in the V8 Javascript engine, the security exploit affects all Chromium-based browsers (Brave, Microsoft Edge, etc). Check with their respective developers for details on those. With Chrome itself, here are the steps to follow:

  • Click the three-dot menu on the right side of the browser.
  • Hover your cursor over "Help."
  • Press "About Chrome."
  • Wait for Chrome to receive the update from Google. When it does, restart your browser.

Chrome for Android

You can update Chrome either through the Google Play store or by downloading the latest update from APKMirror. Here's how to update the browser from the Google Play store:

  • Launch the Google Play store.
  • Tap your profile picture on the search bar (with the old layout, tap the "hamburger" button.)
  • Press Manage apps & devices.
  • Tap "Update all."

Google will release an updated build of Chrome OS 91 to Chromebooks with these security patches soon. Stay safe out there, folks.

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