Google Chrome 92 is out with security fixes

Martin Brinkmann
Jul 21, 2021
Google Chrome
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Google released a new version of the company's Chrome web browser on July 20, 2021. Google Chrome 92 Stable is already available via the web browser's automatic updating system. It should be installed automatically on all supported desktop and mobile systems in the coming days and weeks.

Desktop users may speed up the installation of the upgrade by selecting Menu > Help > About Google Chrome. The current version is displayed on the page that opens; Chrome will run a manual check for updates to install any new update that it finds automatically.

Chrome 92 is a security update that fixes 35 security issues in the web browser. The highest severity rating is high, the second-highest after critical.

Chrome 92 new features and changes

Google introduced Chrome Actions in November 2020 as a way to quickly run certain actions from the browser's address bar. Typing "delete history" allowed Chrome users to jump straight to the activity without having to navigate menus first.

chrome 92 new actions

Chrome 92 introduces new actions:

  • safety check -- to run a security check that verifies the security of passwords, extensions and more in the browser.
  • manage security settings -- to open the security settings.
  • manage sync -- to open the sync settings.

It appears that the new Actions are being rolled out. I could not get them to work in Chrome 92 at this point.

Site Isolation improvements

Site Isolation is an essential security feature of the Chrome web browser, especially on desktop operating systems. The feature separates websites from each other and from browser extensions.

Starting in Chrome 92, extensions may no longer share processes with each other on desktop systems. Google notes that the change "provides an extra line of defense against malicious extensions, without removing any existing extension capabilities".

On Android, site isolation protects only "high-value sites" according to Google because enabling it for all sites would be "too costly for most Android devices" from a performance point of view. In Chrome 92 for Android, defenses are expanded to include sites "where users log in via third-party providers, as well as sites that carry Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy headers".

Access site permissions from the address bar

chrome permissions

Chrome users may access a site's permissions directly from the address bar. The feature is being rolled out for Chrome for Android at the time but it will become available for other platforms as well according to Google.

A tap on the lock-icon displays the new Permissions entry. Tap on that to display all available permissions, e.g. microphone and camera, and their status. Options to forget granted permissions are also available.

Other changes in Chrome 92

  • Phishing Detection is now "50 times faster and drains less battery" according to Google.
  • PWAs may register themselves as handlers for custom URL protocols and schemes.

Now You: what is your take on these changes?

Summary
Google Chrome 92 is out with security fixes
Article Name
Google Chrome 92 is out with security fixes
Description
Google released a new version of the company's Chrome web browser on July 20, 2021. Chrome 92 fixes security issues and includes non-security improvements.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Liz said on July 29, 2021 at 7:21 pm
    Reply

    What about this breaking iFrame popups and requiring a lot of websites having to use the “SuppressDifferentOriginSubframeJSDialogs” workaround? Seems to have broken a lot of sites.

  2. Charlie said on July 22, 2021 at 1:41 pm
    Reply

    I just now checked Play Store and see level 91.0.

  3. Tony said on July 21, 2021 at 11:08 pm
    Reply

    Never fails to amaze me there are people using Chrome.There’s nothing good about it.

    1. Iron Heart said on July 22, 2021 at 12:36 pm
      Reply

      @Tony

      Chromium is a fully capable browser, arguably the most secure, most performant browser with the highest degree of web compatibility.

      Chrome is just Chromium + proprietary Google stuff, among it spyware. Its lack of privacy is the only weak point of Chrome, but this is remedied by using a different Chromium-based browser aside from Edge and Opera (which are equally horrible in that regard).

      1. Anonymous said on July 22, 2021 at 9:13 pm
        Reply

        @Tony
        What amazes me is that it amazes you.

    2. ShintoPlasm said on July 22, 2021 at 10:17 am
      Reply

      @Tony:

      It’s an excellent browser for most users (i.e. not those who are regulars on sites like gHacks) – stable, fast, dependable and with the best web compatibility. Not great for privacy, of course, but most people don’t care.

    3. Dumbledalf said on July 22, 2021 at 7:17 am
      Reply

      There was, until they enforced the Unsafe Downloads policy, which automatically blocks you from downloading files, which the browser deems as “unsafe”. The problem is there is no alert or notification of any sort anywhere on the UI so you would know your downloads have been blocked, instead you have to take a wild guess that that is what has happened.

      Too bad most average Joes and Janes won’t ever get such a crazy idea and just think something is broken about either their website or browser.

      That’s the sucky part about Chrome nowadays – if they implement a change, don’t count on there being a way to bypass it for a long time as they remove these flags with time, better use other Chromium browsers such as Vivaldi or Brave.

  4. Booble said on July 21, 2021 at 5:58 pm
    Reply

    Yeah, let’s all pretend Google Chrome is great browser and Google offers it to benefit YOU and YOUR web surfing needs.
    No Google developers meeting ever started with the words: Let’s give the users what they want and need.

  5. Coriy said on July 21, 2021 at 2:06 pm
    Reply

    I hadn’t heard about the Quick Actions feature. It doesn’t work for me on Android. Two things which say a lot about Google. For an “advertising” company they are quite bad about their own advertising products and features; and making sure that things “just work.” Now I understand why it’s so frustrating to use their products AND why so many end up in the Google graveyard.

  6. John G. said on July 21, 2021 at 1:08 pm
    Reply

    > “Phishing Detection is now “50 times faster and drains less battery” according to Google.”
    Very nice improvement. Thanks for the article @Martin. :]

    1. shillbrave said on July 24, 2021 at 5:11 pm
      Reply

      Chromium is insecure, riddled with holes and memory leaks. Here are eight zero-days USED IN THE WILD, patched this year alone

      CVE-2021-21148 – February 4th, 2021
      CVE-2021-21166 – March 2nd, 2021
      CVE-2021-21193 – March 12th, 2021
      CVE-2021-21220 – April 13th, 2021
      CVE-2021-21224 – April 20th, 2021
      CVE-2021-30551 – June 9th, 2021
      CVE-2021-30554 – June 17th, 2021
      CVE-2021-30563 – July 22nd, 2021

      Expect the carnage to continue

  7. Paul(us) said on July 21, 2021 at 12:45 pm
    Reply

    Right now typing from the browser’s address bar: safety check, manage security settings, and manage sync and then jumping straight to the activities are not working in the 64-bit version of Google Chrome 92.0.4515.107 stble?

    1. Dirgster said on July 23, 2021 at 12:52 am
      Reply

      Agree! Tried it!

      1. Anonymous said on August 8, 2021 at 5:43 pm
        Reply

        Now up to 92.0.4514.132 and these seem to work just fine.

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