Microsoft users at risk, Indian government issues high severity warning: Here’s everything you need to know

Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in Microsoft Edge and a remote attacker can exploit these vulnerabilities by persuading a victim to visit a specially crafted webpage.

Microsoft periodically releases security updates for the Edge browser. (Microsoft)

Microsoft Edge is one of the most used web browsers around the globe. The pre-installed Windows' web browsers has the second largest market share right in terms of desktop users after Google Chrome. As our reliance on the internet is growing, we increasingly share personal information such as banking details, dates of birth, and locations. To protect users, Microsoft periodically releases security updates for the Edge browser. While tech companies generally advise users to keep their browsers updated, some prefer older versions for convenience. However, it's important to note that outdated browser versions are more susceptible to exploitation. Now such vulnerabilities have been identified in Microsoft Edge, leading the Indian government to issue a warning for users of versions prior to 128.0.2739.42.

Microsoft Edge users in India at risk

​​The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has revealed that multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in Microsoft Edge and successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system.

These vulnerabilities exist in Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) due to Use after free in Passwords, Autofill; Inappropriate implementation in V8, Permissions, FedCM, Views, WebApp Installs, Custom Tabs, Extensions; Out of bounds memory access in Skia; Heap buffer overflow in Fonts, PDFium; Type Confusion in V8; Insufficient data validation in V8 API, Installer and Insufficient policy enforcement in Data Transfer. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by persuading a victim to visit a specially crafted webpage.

What users can do to stay safe

As mentioned earlier, it is always recommended to install the latest update of the app with security patches. According to the CERT-In warning, Edge users should immediately apply appropriate updates as mentioned by the vendor.

One more thing! We are now on WhatsApp Channels! Follow us there so you never miss any updates from the world of technology. ‎To follow the HT Tech channel on WhatsApp, click here to join now!