Google released a new stable version of its Chrome web browser for all supported platforms. Chrome 126 is a security update first and foremost, but it makes non-security changes to the browser as well.
The security update is available already. Google rolls out these updates over the course of days and weeks. Most Chrome installations are updated automatically, thanks to the built-in updating system.
Desktop users may install the update quicker by opening Menu > Help > About Google Chrome. Chrome displays the installed version on the page that opens and runs a check for updates. The browser will download any new version it finds.
Chrome 126: the security fixes
Google mentions that it has fixed 21 unique security issues in Chrome 126. It lists only externally reported issues on the page. All of these are rated high or lower, and there does not seem to be a(nother) 0-day issue that is affecting the browser at this time.
The security issues rated high type confusion, use after free, heap buffer overflow, and inappropriate implementation issues.
The non-security changes of Chrome 126
Here is an overview of important non-security changes in the new Chrome release:
- OCR-AI Reader for inaccessible PDF documents that creates a “built-in PDF screen reader”.
- Beginning to switch to an out-of-process iframe architecture for the PDF viewer. This makes it simpler to add new features to it according to Google.
- Reactive prefetch on desktop. The feature speeds up navigations and the loading of pages by using a Google-owned service to predict resources that should be prefetched.
- Tab Group support on iPad.
- Starting in Chrome 126, Chrome starts to directly support accessibility client software that uses Microsoft Windows’s UI Automation accessibility framework.
- Search any text or image using Google Lens.
Developers may want to check out the Chrome Status website for development related changes.
Have you tried Google Chrome recently?
“OCR-AI Reader”
Every time I see AI-something introduced in a browser or any other program, my first instinct is to run. If I was not forced to use Zoom, I would not have any AI bloat on my 70 something programs/utilities installed on my computer. I have bookmarks to few AI websites just in case, but I forgot last time when I used them.
If you have a choice, avoid AI and software as service. The combination of those two is deadly. Just ask Adobe users.
Here’s the most important security fix:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome]
“ExtensionManifestV2Availability”=dword:00000002
Any similar registry hack for Brave? I think Brave will do something themselves, but just in case?
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\BraveSoftware\Brave]
“ExtensionManifestV2Availability”=dword:00000002
>”there does not seem to be a(nother) 0-day issue that is affecting the browser at this time”
No new zero-day exploits? Nice going Google! I guess there really IS a first time for everything.
The security changes unlikely to ever occur in Google Chrome :
“Google Chrome: Agree to ‘privacy feature’, but get tracking!”
[https://noyb.eu/en/google-sandbox-online-tracking-instead-privacy]
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I think I will never understand the Google Chrome fame.