Chrome 88 update includes a critical fix for a vulnerability
Google has released the Chrome 88 update with version number 88.0.4324.150 for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems, and it is more important than usual to update to the latest version of the Chrome browser, depending on whether the update fixes a security vulnerability that the search giant says is being actively exploited.
Google does not provide specific details about the vulnerability called CVE-2021-21148 until the majority of users get the Chrome 88 update, including details about the actors behind these attacks.
But reports indicate that the date Google said the bug was reported (Jan.24) is just a day before Google's threat analysis group publicly disclosed a hacking campaign that appears to rely in part on an unrepaired security vulnerability in Chrome.
The search giant said: Hackers supported by the government in North Korea have created a blog to target security researchers, which could infect their devices even if they are running fully patched software.
Regardless of which error is corrected, it is more important than usual to ensure that you are running the latest version of the Chrome browser.
According to a post, security researcher Mattias Buelens reported a vulnerability in WebAssembly from Chrome and the JavaScript V8 engine, which could allow an attacker to execute code from the victim's computer.
In a report released on January 28, Microsoft said: The attackers most likely used a vulnerability in the Chrome browser to launch their attacks.
Google did not go into details about the problem, but said: It is aware of reports that the error is being exploited, so you should immediately update to Chrome 88.
On a note, Google said: Access to error details and links is restricted until the majority of users get the update, and we also keep the restrictions in case the error is in a third-party library on which other projects depend and has not yet been fixed.
This should provide browser users with additional time to install the security update and to prevent attackers from creating other exploits targeting this bug.
Last year, Google fixed 5 security flaws in the Chrome browser that were actively exploited, all within one month, between October 20 and November 12.