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UPDATE GOOGLE CHROME, LIKE NOW!

If you are using Google Chrome, update it now, before you read this article. Google has recently fixed a zero-day vulnerability with Google Chrome on all platforms. This includes Apple macOS and iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. The zero-day vulnerability affects all Google Chrome versions from Version 71 and below. As long as you are on Version 72.X, then you should be secure.

A zero-day vulnerability is a bug that needs to be fixed as soon as possible, as there are zero days to fix the problem. As such, a zero-day vulnerability is usually a HUGE problem. However, Google Chrome (and Google Chromebooks) is based on the Chromium software, which is open sourced software. Open source software allows anyone to contribute to the source code and thereby the software. What’s confusing is that since Google Chrome is based on an open-sourced software, couldn’t somebody see a problem. What is great about open source is that, not only does it give people the freedom to make their mark on software (and the world), but it makes it easier to find security vulnerabilities: the more people who are able to view the code (with open source code, virtually anybody in the world with a computer can do this), the higher the chance that someone will spot a problem with the code.

The thing is, Google and Alphabet Incorporated (which owns Google), are very wealthy corporations. Shouldn’t they be investing more into open source, since Google Chrome and their entire Google Chrome OS platform (for Google Chromebooks) are based on Chromium? They can definitely afford it. If Google employs more people toward the Chromium initiative, then perhaps something like a zero-day vulnerability may never happen again.