Google Chrome 112 fixes 16 unique security issues
Google released Chrome 112, a new stable version of the company's web browser, to the Stable channel. Chrome 112 is a security update first and foremost, but it does include new features and changes as well.
Chrome users may load chrome://settings/help in the browser's address bar to display the installed version and run a check for updates. It should find the new Chrome update, if not installed already, and download it. A restart of the browser is required and the new Chrome version is launched.
The following versions should be listed after the update:
- Chrome for Linux and Mac: 112.0.5615.49
- Chrome for Windows: 112.0.5615.49 or 112.0.5615.50
- Chrome for Android: 112.0.5615.47 or 112.0.5615.48
- Chrome for iOS: 112.0.5615.46
Chrome 112
Google Chrome 112 is a security update for all platforms. It addresses 16 different security issues in the web browser. Google lists externally reported security vulnerabilities on the official Chrome Releases website. The severity ratings of the issues are high, medium and low. They address a wide range of security-related issues, including heap buffer overflow, user after free, out of bounds or insufficient policy enforcement issues.
Google makes no mention of exploits in the wild. While that is reassuring, it is still suggested to update to the latest Chrome version as soon as possible to protect the browser against potential attacks targeting the security issues.
The Chrome Status page for Chrome 112 lists developer related changes for the most part:
- Deprecate the `document.domain` setter. (Deprecated)
- Add optional submitter parameter to FormData constructor
- CSS animation-composition property
- CSS Nesting
- RegExp v flag with set notation + properties of strings
- “Reload this page” infobar no longer shown if top-level frame is observing permission changes
- WebAssembly Tail Call
- WebGLContextEvent on Web Workers
- Add containerName and containerQuery, update conditionText (behind flag)
- background-blur (behind flag)
- Deprecate non-standard `shadowroot` attribute for declarative shadow DOM (behind flag)
- FedCM: Auto re-authentication (behind flag)
- APIPayment handler minimal header UX (behind flag)
- “Reload this page” infobar no longer shown if top-level frame is observing permission changes (behind flag)
- WebAssembly Garbage Collection (WasmGC) (Origin trial)
- [WebRTC] Unship deprecated "track" and "stream" stats from getStats() (Origin trial)
Check out the website for additional information on these. Chrome users may notice a few changes as well. One of them is the retirement of Chrome apps. These apps do not work anymore in Chrome 112. Google decided to retire the technology in favor of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).
Chrome for iOS will automatically upgrade mixed-content to HTTPS whenever possible. The browser did block mixed content previously. Also on iOS is the ability to add websites and PWAs to the home screen.
Also starting in Chrome 112 is an addition to the browser's Safety Check feature. It will no revoke site permissions of sites that have not been visited for a while. Google describes the feature in the following way: "
Starting with Chrome 112, safety check includes auto-revocation of unused site permissions on Chrome. Chrome resets permissions from sites that users have not visited for a while. Chrome revokes permissions automatically and offers options to opt out or re-grant. Permissions granted by enterprise policies are not affected."
Chrome admins and users on Android may load chrome://policy/logs to troubleshoot Enterprise policies.
Last but not least, chrome's HTTP Only Mode includes a new policy that supports force_enabled. It enables the Always use secure connection option that is found under chrome://settings/security.
1112 fixes 116 unique security issues
this informative article. It’s always good to read about security updates… LOL!
116 unique security issues is par for the course, chromium is not secure, it’s the new adobe flash (actually, it has a worse record)
Thanks, Martin, for this informative article. It’s always good to read about security updates.
I’m surprised people willingly use Chrome instead of Chromium forks. Chrome is so neutered, Google keeps disabling features on it all the time. I stopped using it around 2019 when they made some downloads not go through if Chrome detects them as “unsafe” and then nothing happens, you’re not even getting a message to tell you what’s happening.
I don’t know how Chrome is now, but I don’t care enough to want to try anymore.
Chrome is literally “fine”, the forks don’t stand out in any significant way that matters to 98% of users. It’s the people that fight to the death over which chromium fork to use, which amuse me. Not saying you’re such a person.
For 98% of users maybe it doesn’t matter, but for some it does. Like that thing about downloads being blocked by Chrome, because Chrome said so. It doesn’t happen in Opera, Brave, Vivaldi (to my knowledge), for other forks I’m not sure. Also to my understanding some forks will hold onto Manifest V2 as long as possible before removing it when Google does it for Chrome and Edge will follow immediately.