Crucial security update for Google Chrome: protect your data now

Google has just released a critical update for its Chrome browser, essential to fix two known security vulnerabilities, which have already been exploited by cybercriminals in the past. Italian users, as well as those around the world, have started receiving notifications about the available update. This update represents a crucial security measure to protect devices from cyber attacks, making its installation essential. The identified vulnerabilities, marked as CVE-2024-7971 and CVE-2024-7965, were quickly added to the list of known threats by the CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency).

Vulnerabilities exploited by cybercriminals

The first of the vulnerabilities, CVE-2024-7971, was initially reported by Microsoft and allowed a group of hackers linked to North Korea, identified as "Citrine Street", to execute remote code on victims' devices. These cybercriminals primarily targeted financial institutions involved in cryptocurrency, using social engineering techniques to spread malicious software. Social engineering uses human psychology to manipulate people into making mistakes that compromise information security, rather than directly attacking technical vulnerabilities in the system.

Google security update

Google has released an update that fixes both security flaws. Not only that, the company has integrated its Chrome Safety Check tool, which now runs automatically in the background on Android and desktop devices, revoking unnecessary permissions and flagging potential threats. Safety Check also helps monitor security updates, notifying users when they need to take manual action. This extension of security features addresses the growing need to protect users from increasingly sophisticated attacks.

Manual check and version to install

Despite Safety Check, you can still manually check the version of Google Chrome you are using. To do so, you can go to the browser settings and follow the path "Privacy and security / Security check". The most recent version, which guarantees protection against the CVE-2024-7971 and CVE-2024-7965 threats, is 128.0.6613.138. To ensure you have the best possible protection, it is strongly recommended that you update now. This, as emphasized by CISA, has become a mandatory measure for federal employees by September 18, under penalty of cessation of use of the browser.