Google issues fourth emergency Chrome update in less than two weeks: Should you switch?

Is it time to delete Chrome altogether?

Photothek courtesy of Getty Images

Google has released an emergency security update for its Chrome web browser, its fourth in a shockingly short two weeks. But the emergence of so many zero-day vulnerabilities in such a short space of time raises questions about what Google's control over Chrome security means, and whether it's time to delete the browser and switch to something else.

Timeline of important Chrome security updates

Google acknowledged the first Chrome zero-day vulnerability this month and released a patch on May 9. They then released another emergency Chrome zero-day update on May 13 and a third update on May 15. As my colleague Zak Doffmann writing for Forbes.com noted, Google has had trouble with Chrome security vulnerabilities before, but this one feels like it's shaping up to be a lot tougher than usual.

ForbesGoogle Chrome for Android users warned about 'no 2FA' password problemBy Davey Winder

Then the unthinkable happened: Google confirmed a fourth zero-day security vulnerability that was already known to be exploited in the wild. In response to this latest security threat, Google released yet another emergency update on Thursday, May 23rd.

Prudhvikumar Bommana, technical program manager at Google Chrome, said that CVE-2024-5274 is a type confusion in V8, nothing more. This is not unusual, as Google waits until billions of Chrome users have had a chance to mitigate automatic updates before disclosing technical details of such vulnerabilities. However, V8 is the JavaScript engine that powers Chrome and other Chromium browsers, such as Microsoft Edge. On the other hand, the type confusion attack vector is very dangerous for Cert-EU, as it can lead to code execution when a user visits a specially crafted malicious HTML page.

Should I delete Chrome and switch to another browser?

As a knee-jerk reaction to the rapid disclosure of very serious zero-day vulnerabilities in a short space of time, it's natural to assume that the security of the Chrome browser is screwed. But knee-jerk reactions are inherently without any serious justification. If you take the time to really think about what happened here, I would disagree with that conclusion, and neither should you. If you're concerned about privacy issues or the Google ecosystem, switch to a different browser, but don't do so for security reasons alone. Here are three reasons why:

The fact that zero-day vulnerabilities are being discovered by external security researchers, Google's Threat Analysis Group, and the Chrome Security Team is proof that Google takes security seriously. Certainly, it's worrying to see so many emergency fixes released in such a short period of time (eight have been released so far this year). But do you want these vulnerabilities to go undiscovered and exploits to continue undiscovered? Which browser are you thinking of switching to? This is a serious question. The most popular web browsers use the same Chromium engine and are therefore vulnerable to the same zero-day exploits. While updates for Google Chrome are pushed automatically and delivered instantly for most users, this is not always the case for other products, where updates can take several days to be released. This means that the window of opportunity for exploitation is open for attackers for several days. If you switch to a non-Chromium browser, will it be subject to the same number of vulnerability hunters as a browser like Chrome? A browser without security updates does not necessarily mean that it is not vulnerable. It may just be that vulnerabilities have not yet been discovered. ForbesGoogle's $6-a-month Chrome Security Subscription LaunchesBy Davey WinderWhat to do now?

If you're one of the billions of people who use Google Chrome, the patch should be automatically rolled out to you over the next few days, and you should see the version number 125.0.6422.112/.113 on Windows and Mac, and 125.0.6422.112 on Linux.

You can either wait for the automatic Chrome security updates to be delivered and installed (which will happen the next time you restart your browser client) or force an update for users who do not regularly restart their browsers. To force an update, click on the Google Chrome menu[ヘルプ],[バージョン情報]Continue with the options. If an update is available, it will start downloading automatically.

Chrome will start updating automatically

Google/Davey Winder

Be sure to restart your browser after installing updates, otherwise the updates will not take effect and you will remain vulnerable to attacks.

If you don't press the restart button, Chrome will no longer be safe.

Google/Davey Winder

Make sure you're running the latest and most secure version of Google Chrome.

Check your Chrome client version number

Google/Davey Winder

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2024/05/24/should-you-delete-google-chrome-as-emergency-update-4-confirmed-for-may/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos