14 DAY TRIAL // The first stable build of Google Chrome 10 has been released and contains significant security improvements, including patches for numerous vulnerabilities.
The new Google Chrome 10.0.648.127 is the first version of the browser to automatically disable outdated plug-ins by default, a feature first announced in June last year.
With the increasing number of Web-based attacks exploiting vulnerabilities in browser plug-ins, this functionality is more than welcome.
Not that Chrome would be too vulnerable to drive-by downloads without it. The browser already has a native PDF reader and starting with this version the Flash Player plug-in is completely sandboxed.
Then, of course, there's all the security patches for vulnerabilities discovered by independent researchers and member of the Chromium development community.
This version of Chrome addresses a total number of 23 vulnerabilities, 15 of which are high-risk ones, three are medium and five have a low impact.
A lot of vulnerabilities have been rewarded with $1,000, $1,500 and $2,000, which is more than the standard $500, because the reporters also helped the Chromium team develop patches.
Also, some lower severity issues were rewarded because they were particularly interesting. For example, a medium-risk cross-origin error message leak discovered by Daniel Divricean got the $1,337 (leet) special prize.
The same researcher got a second $1,337 prize for a same-origin policy bypass in the V8 JavaScript engine. He also discovered a medium-risk issue rewarded with $500. A lot of regular Chrome security contributors, like Sergey Glazunov, miaubiz or Aki Helin, also made the list.
"We would also like to thank Ben Hawkes of the Google Security Team, Sergey Glazunov, Martin Barbella and 'temp01irc' for working with us during the development cycle and helping prevent bugs from ever reaching the stable channel," Google Chrome engineer Jason Kersey, writes.
The latest version Google Chrome for Windows can be downloaded from here.
The latest version Google Chrome for Linux can be downloaded from here.
The latest version Google Chrome for Mac can be downloaded from here.