Google Chrome 146.0.7680.177/146.0.7680.177.178 available
The update fixes 21 security vulnerabilities, including one exploit.
Google has released another security update for the Chrome browser. 21 security vulnerabilities have been patched. 19 of these are rated High, and CVE-2026-5281 is an exploit.
The version announcement provides information about the security vulnerabilities addressed. 19 vulnerabilities are classified as high risk, and two others as medium risk. For one of the high-risk vulnerabilities, the developers stated that they are aware of an exploit in the wild, so attackers are using it to compromise users.
This exloit is a use-after-free vulnerability, where program code accesses resources after they have already been released and may therefore contain undefined content. With some skill, this can often be exploited to inject and execute malicious code. Attackers are already doing this with manipulated websites. The flaw is found in Chrome's Dawn WebGPU implementation (CVE-2026-5281, no CVSS score, risk according to Google: high).
Updated Versions
Chrome versions 146.0.7680.177 for Android and Linux, and 146.0.7680.177/178 for macOS and Windows, close the security vulnerabilities. These can be installed locally by accessing the version dialog via the "Settings" menu (hidden behind the icon with three stacked dots to the right of the address bar) and then "Help" – "About Google Chrome."
The available update should be displayed there, and you should be offered the option to install it. On Linux, this is usually handled by the software manager of the distribution. Android users should be offered the update in the Google Play Store – however, Google does not release the latest versions for all smartphones at the same time; availability may take hours or even days.
The other Chromium-based browsers in version 146 will certainly follow soon.
A full list of changes in this build is available in the Log.
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