Huge security breach affects Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Edge, and plenty more apps besides - here’s what you need to know
A whole raft of common apps have been put at risk
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
There’s a major security flaw concerning many of thebest browsersand other apps that you must address as soon as possible to prevent hackers from attacking your device.
The vulnerability, which is being tracked as CVE-2023-4863, is caused by a heap buffer overflow in the WebP code library (libwebp) and can lead to your system crashing or arbitrary code execution when exploited.
Affected applications includeChrome,Firefox,Brave, andEdge, along with other programs likeTelegram,Thunderbird, andGimp.
“Very bad”
Most Chromium-based browsers have rolled out their updates, including the four mentioned above, while others expected to be issuing patches soon. We’d advise you to keep an eye out for update notifications and to apply your browser patch(es) as soon as possible.
Heap buffer overflow allows an attacker to flood an area of a system’s memory with malicious activity, in turn allowing them to take control of a device, obtain data, or simply spread malware.
Alex Ivanovs ofStack Diary, who, alongside a in-depth technical explanation of the flaw, also noted that the vulnerability has affected more than just browsers, noticed thatApplehas patched macOS Ventura to address the flaw with version 13.5.2.
Apple’s Security Engineering and Architecture (SEAR) team and the University of Toronto Munk School’s Citizen Lab are credited with first reporting the bug on September 6th.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
Failure to update could result in damage being done to a victim’s machine and even the loss of personal data.
More from TechRadar Pro
With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!
Dangerous Android banking malware looks to trick victims with fake money transfers
Sophos Firewall hack on government network used an all-new custom malware
Don’t wait until Black Friday, this year’s best Nintendo Switch bundles are on sale now
