Google just launched an emergency update designed to patch a critical security risk.
This software update is especially vital because it fixes a so-called "zero-day" flaw, an industry term that refers to a flaw that hackers are already aware of — meaning it's a race against time to release the patch to as many people as possible. It literally means the developers have had zero days to prepare for a fix.
If you don't update to the latest version of Chrome, your web browser will be defenceless against hackers, who could potentially swoop in and steal sensitive information from your device.
After becoming aware of the zero-day vulnerability, Google confirmed, "Google is aware that an exploit for CVE-2025-14174 exists in the wild. We would also like to thank all security researchers that worked with us during the development cycle to prevent security bugs from ever reaching the stable channel."
If you have automatic updates set up on your browser, then it's highly likely that the update is already with you.
While it isn't likely that fraudsters will come after you because you're running an older version of Chrome, there is always some risk of them trying to hack into your apps and other data.
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You can also check for these updates by following these steps:
- Open Google Chrome.
- In the top-right corner, click the three dots (⋮) menu.
- Go to Help → About Google Chrome.
- Chrome will automatically check for updates. If an update is available, it will start downloading. If Chrome is up to date, you’ll see a message saying so.
- If an update was installed, click Relaunch to finish applying it.
A quick tip to also be aware of is that if you see a green, yellow, or red dot on the three-dot menu, it usually means an update has been available for a while.
We checked this morning and found that the update was ready to be installed on our devices. However, if you don't see it yet, it should be rolling out to everyone over the coming days.
Google will flag an update in the Chrome browser using a series of colour-coded buttons | GOOGLE PRESS OFFICE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
According to The Bleeping Computer, this is Google's eighth zero-day bug this year.
There is always some risk of hackers trying to hack into your browser when it's out of date. If they succeed in gaining access, then they could potentially change your homepage and default search settings.
Some may install faulty advertisements, which could redirect you to malicious sites that could obtain access to your personal information.
In some instances, they could even install keyloggers, which can record keystrokes used to type in login information. This could allow attackers to steal emails, passwords, photos, and banking details.
You're only fully protected if you're running the most recent version of Chrome.
Google Chrome is used by billions of people, with estimates for 2024 and 2025 hovering around 3.45 to 3.8 billion users, making it the world's most popular browser
| GETTY IMAGESGoogle didn't release all the details of the vulnerability found in its security advisory. This is standard practice, as it means cybercriminals who aren't already aware of the flaw won't learn about it via a changelog for a new software update.
"Access to bug details and links may be kept restricted until a majority of users are updated with a fix. We will also retain restrictions if the bug exists in a third-party library that other projects similarly depend on, but haven’t yet fixed."
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