14 DAY TRIAL // Google has just released a new version of its Chrome browser for all supported desktop operating systems, shipping a total of 22 security fixes for the most recently-discovered vulnerabilities.
Currently at version 61.0.3163.79, Google Chrome comes with fixes for six different vulnerabilities rated as “high” and discovered by external researchers, including a use after free in PDFium, a heap buffer overflow bug in WebGL and another one in Skia. Each of these 3 bugs was rewarded with $5,000 as per Google’s bounty program for Google Chrome browser.
In addition to security fixes, Google Chrome 61 also introduces a set of other features and improvements, including options for video using native controls, with the browser not automatically expanding video to full screen when the device is rotating to an orientation that matches the clip playing on the screen.
Furthermore, Google says in the release notes that websites are automatically pushed out of full screen mode if a JavaScript dialog opens, which is a welcome security improvement that should block exploits and scams locking the browser and making it impossible for users to close the application or the active tab.
Device RAM API to read RAM information
Starting with this version, Google’s browser will no longer decode frames for videos using Media Source in background tabs, and this should help improve performance and avoid high CPU usage due to tabs running the background.
Another highlight is the availability of Device RAM API, which means that websites are available to access system information like the amount of RAM available on the device, thus optimizing the performance of a web application and providing an experience that better matches the hardware configuration of a connected computer.
The new version of Google Chrome is available for GNU/Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows, alongside new developer builds that are up for grabs from the linked pages. If you’re already running Chrome, the built-in auto-updating engine should get the new version automatically, though it’s worth noting that a browser restart is required.