Google Chrome users beware! Big hacker risk exposed, know how to update browser

A new version of Google Chrome has been rolled out to avoid any suspected risk of attack. Here is how to update your Chrome browser.

The upgraded Google Chrome version 95.0.4638.69 fixes security issues and helps keep hackers away..  (AFP)

If you are using the Google Chrome Browser on your laptop or desktop, then you need to update it immediately or face the consequences as hackers can exploit a bug and steal your data. Billions of Google Chrome users have been urged to update their web browser without any delay to avoid any attack by the hackers. The discovery of a number of threats that could leave PCs open to attack by hackers, has forced Google to release a warning and roll out an update for the browser.

However, this is not the first time for Google Chrome users to get a warning from Google to update their web browsers to avoid any cyberattack. Similar issues were discovered back in October and September with zero-day flaws also fixed in those two releases. Though, what makes the latest alert more alarming is that two of the issues discovered by Google's cyber team have also been given the dreaded 'zero day' rating. Google has confirmed in its blog post of Chrome update that it is aware that exploits for issues codenamed CVE-2021-38000 and CVE-2021-38003 exist in the wild. 

Zero-day warnings mean that there's a possibility the existing bug has become known to criminals and hackers and they may already be using the flaws to launch attacks on users currently. To avoid the attack, Google has rushed to release the new Google Chrome patch and it is recommending that users upgrade immediately.

Google has updated the stable channel to Chrome version 95.0.4638.69 which includes eight security fixes with two of them considered high-risk.

These issues have now been fixed, but only if Chrome users update their browser. Google confirmed that the upgraded version 95.0.4638.69 has been updated for Windows, Mac and Linux which will roll out over the coming days or weeks.

“We would like to thank all security researchers that worked with us during the development cycle to prevent security bugs from ever reaching the stable channel," Google's statement reads. 

However, the company restricted itself to disclose more information about the flaws until the majority of users have upgraded to the latest version of their browser.

How to update Chrome? 

To upgrade your browser or check if you're using the latest version, go to Chrome in your menu bar and select "About Chrome."

If you are not using Chrome version 95.0.4638.69, then it will ask you to upgrade and then restart your software.  Once Google Chrome update has been downloaded, you are safe with the new version. However, always keep yourself abreast of what is happening in the tech world so that you immediately become aware of new threats.