Patch now: Update Chrome to fix 8th zero-day of 2023
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Joshua Long
On Wednesday, December 20, the Google Chrome browser was updated to version 120.0.6099.129 to address a zero-day vulnerability that has been actively exploited in the wild. This is the eighth such vulnerability this year.
Google says that it “is aware that an exploit for CVE-2023-7024 exists in the wild.” This means that users must install patches urgently. This particular vulnerability exists in WebRTC, a real-time communication framework.
Whenever Chrome gets a security update, other browsers based on the Chromium open-source Web browser project generally require an update, too. Notable browsers built upon the Chromium codebase include Microsoft Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera, and Opera GX.
Microsoft Edge and Brave browsers received updates on Thursday, December 21. Vivaldi and Opera released updates for their browsers on Friday, December 22.
How to update Chromium-based desktop browsers
Mac users can update their Chrome, Edge, Brave, or Opera browsers by clicking on the application menu (e.g. “Chrome” or “Microsoft Edge,” next to the Apple logo menu), and then clicking the first item in that menu (e.g. “About Google Chrome” or “About Microsoft Edge”). The browser will check for updates, and if an update is available, it will prompt you to restart the app to complete the update.
Vivaldi for macOS has a slightly different update procedure. After clicking on the Vivaldi menu (next to the Apple menu), click on “Check for Updates…” to ensure you have the latest version installed.
Windows users can update their browsers by following the steps provided by each browser maker: Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera.
How to update Chromium-based mobile browsers
Android users should check the Google Play Store app for the latest versions of their browsers and other apps.
Mobile browsers on iOS and iPadOS use Safari’s WebKit engine, rather than Chromium’s Blink and V8 engines. Therefore, this particular vulnerability does not affect the iOS or iPadOS versions of any Web browsers. If you would like to update your iPhone and iPad browsers anyway, you can do so via the App Store. (Here’s how to manually check for and install updates.)
Sometime in early 2024, in future updates to iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, third-party app stores may become a reality—at least in the EU, for compliance with the Digital Markets Act. Japan has also proposed similar legislation (as we discussed on episode 324 of the Intego Mac Podcast). Apple must comply with the EU’s DMA no later than March 2024. Third-party stores may eventually distribute alternative browser versions that use their own engines, rather than the WebKit-locked App Store versions.
Non-browser apps need updates, too
As we’ve noted in the past, many non-browser apps, including Electron apps, also rely on the Chromium browser codebase for rendering HTML content. These include the desktop versions of apps like 1Password, Discord, Dropbox, Figma, GitHub, Microsoft Teams, Signal, Skype, Slack, Trello, Twitch, WhatsApp, WordPress, and Zoom.
Notably, the Electron framework does not get updated in tandem with Chromium, so some Electron-based apps may remain vulnerable for months. For this and other reasons, it’s important to keep all your other apps updated as well.
To update Mac App Store apps, open the App Store, then click Updates, and click on Update All.
Other apps usually have their own separate in-app or separate update mechanisms. In some cases, you may need to update an app manually by downloading a new version from the developer’s site.
Chromium vulnerabilities threaten Electron app security
How can I learn more?
Each week on the Intego Mac Podcast, Intego’s Mac security experts discuss the latest Apple news, including security and privacy stories, and offer practical advice on getting the most out of your Apple devices. Be sure to follow the podcast to make sure you don’t miss any episodes.
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