Google has updated its Chrome web browser for desktop PCs to version 99.0.4844.84. The updated version of the Chromium-based web browser will be available for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. The update includes a fix for a security vulnerability rated “High”. Google has confirmed that an exploit using the security flaw “exists in the wild”.
The changelog for the Google Chrome v99.0.4844.84 is quite small as the seemingly minor update does not contain any new features or functions. Instead, the update includes a fix for a security flaw tagged as CVE-2022-1096. The bug is described as “Type Confusion in V8”.
Google has acknowledged that the security research team was made aware of the bug by a third party or “external researchers”. The bug reached Google on 23rd March 2022, and as evident from the update, the company developed a patch within just two days.
The search giant has refrained from offering any specific details of the flaw, primarily because an exploit for CVE-2022-1096 exists in the wild.
Security Fixes and Rewards
Note: Access to bug details and links may be kept restricted until a majority of users are updated with a fix. We will also retain restrictions if the bug exists in a third-party library that other projects similarly depend on, but haven’t yet fixed.
As this is a security update, it is strongly advised that all Google Chrome users update their browsers to the latest version. Although Google has indicated that the update will “roll out over the coming days/weeks,” it doesn’t seem to be a staggered or gradual rollout. To update the web browser, click on the “three-dot” menu on the top-right corner, hover over Help, and tap on About Google Chrome.