High risk flaws discovered in Chrome and Gimp

Users urged to install updates for both programs as quickly as possible

Life

Image: Google

Google has patched several high-risk security vulnerabilities in the desktop version of Chrome. The same applies to the open source image editing software Gimp, which has also been secured by its developers.

Users are being urged to install updates for both programs as quickly as possible, and cyber security officials in Germany have urgently warned users to check that they have the latest version installed.

Attackers exploiting the Chrome vulnerabilities can bypass security measures to execute malicious code and cause a system crash – for example when users open a manipulated file or website, Germany’s BSI office of cyber security says.

Opening maliciously prepared image files in Gimp could also enable attackers to execute malicious code, the authority added.

Google and the Gimp developers have each made secure versions available for download and installation. For Chrome, these are versions 151.0.7922.173 and 151.0.7922.174 respectively, depending on the operating system, while for Gimp the latest version is 3.2.4 on all systems.

You can check if Chrome has already updated automatically in the settings menu under ‘Help/About Google Chrome’. If not, you can trigger the update here directly – unless Windows users installed the browser via the Microsoft Store, in which case the update must be carried out through that store.

For Gimp, users should also check the menu under ‘Help/About Gimp’, then go to ‘Gimp.org/downloads’ to download the update – or alternatively via the Microsoft Store, if Gimp was originally installed that way.

DPA

Read More: browsers Chrome cyber security Gimp image editors security software