Chrome 157 Update: 213 Security Fixes, 7 Critical Vulnerabilities Patched

Google has released Chrome 157 to the stable channel, addressing 213 security vulnerabilities across its browser platform.

Chrome 157 Release Details

Chrome 157 includes 213 security patches, with seven critical vulnerabilities primarily involving memory safety issues. The update follows recent security releases for Android and other platforms, highlighting ongoing efforts to mitigate risks associated with software vulnerabilities.

Vulnerability Breakdown

Critical Vulnerabilities

The most significant vulnerability affects Dawn, an open-source, cross-platform implementation of the WebGPU standard. This specific flaw, a buffer overflow, was reported by a researcher who received a $10,000 reward. Another critical issue involves memory corruption within the ANGLE graphics engine abstraction layer, which earned a $1,000 bounty.

Additional Critical Flaws

The remaining five critical vulnerabilities include four use-after-free defects and one buffer overflow. Two were identified by Google, while researchers Xinyang Ge from Anthropic and Wenbin Liu each reported one. These flaws did not have publicly disclosed rewards.

Bounty Program Highlights

Google allocated a total of $31,000 in rewards to researchers. This includes a $10,000 payout for an authorization misconfiguration flaw and a $2,000 reward for an out-of-bounds read vulnerability. However, 39 vulnerabilities remain without determined bounty amounts.

Flaw Type Distribution

The most frequently addressed flaw types in this release include:

Incorrect or missing authorization controls (51 instances)
Use-after-free errors (45)
UI misrepresentation (19)
Type confusion (13)
Information leaks (13)
Out-of-bounds read/write issues (11)
Improper input validation (9)
Uninitialized resource access (9)

Update Availability

Chrome 157 is available as versions 157.0.8103.38 and 157.0.8103.39 for Windows and macOS, with the 157.0.8103.38 version designated for Linux systems. Google has not confirmed any of these vulnerabilities being actively exploited in the wild, but users are advised to apply the update promptly.

Security Context

Additional context on related security developments, including supply chain attacks and data breaches, underscores the importance of timely patch management. The update reinforces Google’s commitment to addressing emerging threats through continuous security improvements.