Security

Chrome security update fixes 21 flaws, including a critical bug

Google released a Chrome security update on Thursday, October 29, that fixes 21 vulnerabilities, one of them rated critical and 19 rated high. The update rolls out automatically, but Chrome only installs it after a restart, so a browser that stays open for days keeps running the old version.

By Techieslite ·

Techieslite graphic with the Google Chrome logo and the headline "Chrome security update fixes 21 flaws"

Which versions have the fix

The patched release is Chrome 156.0.8078.79 or .80 on Windows and Mac and 156.0.8078.79 on Linux. Google says it is reaching the Stable and Extended Stable channels "over the coming days/weeks."

Chrome for Android got version 156.0.8078.79 the same day through Google Play, also rolling out over the next few days. Google says Android releases contain the same security fixes as the matching desktop release unless it notes otherwise.

What the update fixes

The critical flaw, CVE-2026-76024, is a memory corruption bug in Chrome's MediaStream component. Xinyang Ge reported it to Google on October 21.

The 19 high-severity fixes cover memory corruption, use-after-free, input validation and integer overflow bugs across Chrome. The affected components include the V8 JavaScript engine, the Skia graphics library, Dawn, Autofill, the network stack, FileSystem, CacheStorage and Quota. One more fix, an out-of-bounds read in FileSystem, is rated medium.

Google reported 12 of the 21 bugs itself, and outside researchers reported the other 9. As usual, Google is keeping the bug details restricted until most users have the fix. Its release notes don't say that any of these flaws have been exploited in attacks.

How to install the Chrome security update

Chrome normally updates itself in the background and applies the new version when you close and reopen the browser. To check right away:

  1. Open Chrome and select the three-dot More menu at the top right.
  2. Go to Help, then About Google Chrome. Chrome checks for updates on this page.
  3. Select Relaunch if it appears. Chrome reopens your tabs and windows, though Incognito windows don't come back.

If there's no Relaunch button, you're on the latest version available to you. Because the rollout is staged, the new build may take days or weeks to reach every computer. On Linux, Google says to update Chrome through your package manager. On a Chromebook, Chrome updates with ChromeOS itself.

What it means for you

Restart Chrome today, especially if you leave it open for long stretches. Nothing in Google's notes points to active attacks, but the update includes a critical fix and 19 high-severity ones.

Older computers may miss out. Google's current requirements for Chrome are Windows 10 or later on PCs with Intel processors, Windows 11 or later on PCs with ARM processors and macOS 13 Ventura or later on a Mac. A Mac stuck on an older macOS release, or a PC running an unsupported version of Windows, won't get this fix. For Windows PCs, our guide to the best browser for a low-end PC compares memory features and Windows 10 support across the major browsers.

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