Google Chrome users urged to install update following North Korea hack warning

Users of Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge have been told to update their browsers as soon as possible in order to protect themselves from hackers.

Google has discovered a major security hole known as a 'zero day' exploit, which means hackers were able to get their hands on it before Google discovered it.

It impacts anyone on Windows, Mac or Linux computers, and requires an update containing 11 security fixes, nine of which have been assigned a 'high' threat level and one even labelled 'critical'.

Google said a similar zero-day vulnerability was used by North Korea to hack the browsers of US tech, finance, and news companies earlier this year.

Google was light on details, as sharing information about how the bug works could make it more dangerous in the hands of hackers. The company said: “Access to bug details and links may be kept restricted until a majority of users are updated with a fix."

However, it said the previous zero-day exploit was used in "campaigns targeting U.S. based organisations spanning news media, IT, cryptocurrency, and fintech industries."

It added: “However, other organizations and countries may have been targeted. One of the campaigns has direct infrastructure overlap with a campaign targeting security researchers… The exploit was patched on 14 February, 2022. The earliest evidence we have of this exploit kit being actively deployed is 4 January 2022.”

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How to update Google Chrome to the latest version

To update your version of Google Chrome, click the three dots in the top-right corner of your web browser. This opens 'More', then:

  1. Click Help, then 'About Google Chrome'
  2. Hit 'Update Google Chrome' (if this button isn't visible, it means you're on the latest version)
  3. Tap or click relaunch

Your current browser session and tabs will be saved until you relaunch, so don't worry about losing all your progress.

Security updates are regularly released for desktop browsers. It might not seem important, but ensuring that you're always using the latest version of a browser will help protect you from hackers, scammers and other cyber criminals.

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