The web browser is the main connection to the Internet. Through it we go out to the network, and we can visit all the websites we want. But this can be a double-edged sword, and if a vulnerability is found, it could allow other people with bad intentions to connect to our PC remotely and access our data. That is why it is necessary to make sure that we have the browser always updated. And, if you are a Google Chrome user, you should make sure you have the new version 102 installed.
A few hours ago, Google promoted version 102 of its browser, until now within the “beta” branch, to the stable branch of the browser. This new version does not come with major changes or new features, but rather focuses on just one goal: correcting the 32 security flaws (one of them critical) that are endangering user safety.
Security bugs fixed
The new Google Chrome 102 falls under the extended support branch of the new browser update model. This means that instead of updating every 4 weeks, it will update every 8 weeks. And, in all that time, if bugs or critical errors are discovered, you will receive a corresponding patch.
Regarding version 101 of the browser, Google has fixed a total of 32 vulnerabilities. But of all of them, the one that stands out the most is CVE-2022-1853 , a security flaw of the “use after free” type, considered critical, which allows any unauthorized user to access an indexed database even after leaving her.
At the moment, Google hasn’t talked about this bug, or any of the other 11, being discovered or exploited by hackers, though we can’t entirely rule out that possibility. Be that as it may, it is vital to make sure to install the new version as soon as possible to cover these security holes and be sure that nothing endangers our security.
12 new features for Google Chrome 102
In addition to the previous 32 security flaws, the new Chrome brings with it some minor changes that seek to improve the experience a bit, especially for web developers. Let’s see what are the 12 changes that the browser has included in this update:
- Added Save Data Client Hint.
- New method: AudioContext.outputLatency.
- Ability to call PaymentRequest.show without requiring user activation.
- Capture handler.
- File Handling.
- HTTP->HTTPS redirection for DNS requests.
- New API: Navigation.
- AccessHandle.
- New API: Secure Payment Confirmation v3.
- New option: WebHID exclusionFilters.
- WebRTC Plan B abandoned and removed.
- New attribute: inert.
To update the browser, initially, we do not have to do anything. Chrome itself checks for updates periodically simply because it is installed on your PC, and when it finds them, it downloads and installs them automatically.
But, if we want to make sure that it is updated, or force the update, what we will do is open the “Google Chrome Information” section, or write “chrome://settings/help” in the address bar, and check that , effectively, we have version 102 installed, or any later version.