Urgent Need to Update Chrome, Firefox and Other Web Browsers: Here’s the Reason

Nitin MisraSeptember 16, 23 Firefox, Google chrome, signal

Web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Brave are facing a major security threat, and companies are asking users to update their browsers immediately. The problem is serious because security experts warn that the vulnerability is powerful enough to allow hackers to easily gain access to your computers. They can gain remote access to push malicious code into the system to obtain confidential information from targeted users.

It is worrying that companies feel that the matter has already been taken advantage of. The problem is widespread and not limited to the browsers used by millions on their computers and mobile phones.

According to reports, the vulnerability is related to the code used to render WebP images, which may sound technical but is widely used in the background. Google, Mozilla, and Microsoft have released respective browser updates, and here’s some information to help you check for a secure version.

– Google Chrome version 116.0.5846.187 for Mac and Linux users

– Google Chrome version 116.0.5845.188 for Windows users

– Firefox version 117.0.1, Firefox ESR 102.15.1 and Firefox ESR 115.2.1

– Edge version 116.0.1938.81

You can check the browser version on your computer by going to the settings hidden in the three-dot menu in the upper right corner. It seems that Apple had also released a patch to fix the problem, which could be the iOS 16.6.1 and iPadOS 16.6.1 Rapid Security Response update that was released to millions of users earlier this week on September 11.

But the security issue wasn’t limited to web browsers, as secure messaging apps like Signal and Telegram also got an update for the problem, as did apps like LibreOffice, Gimp, and other Android apps. Security issues are rampant because it is easy for hackers to gain access to devices due to these vulnerabilities. While it’s good to have a fix for the issue, the fact that the issue has been exploited is cause for concern, and hopefully it won’t end up being a major incident.