Government Issues High-Severity Alert For Google Chrome Users

NDTV | February 17, 2026 | 12:34 PM IST | Breaking News, Cybersecurity, India | Follow on Google News

Government Issues High-Severity Alert For Google Chrome Users

The government has issued a high-severity cybersecurity warning for users of the popular Google Chrome browser, urging immediate action to protect devices from serious security threats.

In an advisory released by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the national cybersecurity agency under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, officials highlighted critical vulnerabilities in Chrome that could allow cyber attackers to hack their systems.

The national cybersecurity agency has warned people to update their Chrome browser immediately, as there are serious security flaws in previous versions. The latest update usually fixes these security loopholes and reduces the risk of cyberattacks.

In its latest advisory, the national cybersecurity agency said that if your Chrome browser version is older than 144.0.7559.75 on Linux, and 145.0.7632.75/76 on Windows/Mac, your system could be at risk.

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“A vulnerability has been reported in Google Chrome, which could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system,” CERT-In wrote.

The agency said the problem in Google Chrome is caused by a technical flaw known as a “Use-After-Free” bug in the browser’s CSS component, which means Chrome may continue using some memory even after it has already been cleared, and hackers can take advantage of this bug.

According to the advisory, a remote attacker does not need physical access to the system. They can trick a user into clicking a malicious link or visiting a specially designed website. Once the user opens that webpage, the flaw can be triggered.

“A remote attacker could exploit the vulnerability by convincing a user to visit a specially crafted HTML webpage. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system,” the advisory stated.

If the attack is successful, the hacker could run harmful code on the victim’s computer. This could allow them to steal data, install malware, spy on the user, or even take control of the system.

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How to download Chrome’s latest version?

Chrome users can update their browser by clicking on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, going to Settings, then selecting About Chrome.

Chrome will automatically check for updates and begin downloading the latest version. After the update is installed, users should restart the browser to complete the process.

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