Google Chrome 117 Released With Malicious Extensions Warning, 16 Security Fixes

A week ago Google released Chrome 116 to the Early Stable channel. Now, it is available for everyone to download and install. To be precise, the exact version of this Chrome release is 117.0.5938.62/.63 for the Windows OS. Moreover, updates have also been made for other platforms.

This release addresses 16 security vulnerabilities out of which only 1 is deemed of high importance. This vulnerability patch addresses a heap buffer overflow in WebP.

Additionally, this release also includes new features and improvements.

Latest Google Chrome Versions

Chrome 117 release summary

• Release Build:
  • Windows: 117.0.5938.62/.63
  • Linux/Mac: 117.0.5938.62
• Release Date: Tuesday, September 12th, 2023
• Compatibility: Windows 11, 10 (32-bit and 64-bit), Linux, Mac, iOS, and Android.
• Previous Build: 116.0.5845.96/.97

New in Chrome 117

Warning for potential malicious Chrome extensions

Browser extensions are add-ons that allow you to incorporate more features and support into the browser. When you download and add an extension to the Chrome browser from the web store, you are ensured that the extension does not contain any malware by the web store moderators. However, every now and then an extension is removed from the store.

Previously, when an extension was removed from the store, the users who had already added them to the browser kept using them without any intimation. With Chrome 117, users will be prompted to review an extension if it is installed but has been removed from the store.

An extension is removed from the store because of one of the following reasons:

• The extension has been unpublished by the developer
• It violated the store policies, and thus removed
• It has been flagged as malware

For any one of these reasons, if an extension was removed, the user who has already installed it would be asked to review, and possibly remove the extension from the browser.

You can go to the “Privacy and security” tab in Chrome’s settings where Chrome will inform you of any extensions that may need reviewing.

Material You for desktop

Material You is a new way Google introduced to design the Chrome browser. Now, this design is also transferring to Chrome for desktop. With Chrome 117, some new elements will show up with a redesign using Material You.

If you are using the default Chrome theme, you will see that the top bar has changed from grey to blue after updating to Chrome version 117. Some UI components will borrow the dominant colors from your chosen theme when you choose a colorful one.

Additionally, Google is introducing a new three-dot menu that has iconography to assist in better distinguishing menu items, greater room between them, and a clearer grouping of account-specific options.

Lock icon in Omnibox not replaced

As observed in the Insider channels for Chrome, Google was supposedly going to replace the HTTPS secure icon, which is a lock sign, that you see in the address bar/Omnibox to the left of the URL. However, after installing Chrome 117, we saw that this has not been implemented.

Security patches

As we mentioned earlier, Chrome 117 addresses 16 security vulnerabilities. Here are the details for some of them:

• [1479274] Critical CVE-2023-4863: Heap buffer overflow in WebP.
• [1430867] Medium CVE-2023-4900: Inappropriate implementation in Custom Tabs.
• [1459281] Medium CVE-2023-4901: Inappropriate implementation in Prompts.
• [1454515] Medium CVE-2023-4902: Inappropriate implementation in Input.
• [1446709] Medium CVE-2023-4903: Inappropriate implementation in Custom Mobile Tabs.
• [1453501] Medium CVE-2023-4904: Insufficient policy enforcement in Downloads.
• [1441228] Medium CVE-2023-4905: Inappropriate implementation in Prompts.
• [1449874] Low CVE-2023-4906: Insufficient policy enforcement in Autofill.
• [1462104] Low CVE-2023-4907: Inappropriate implementation in Intents.
• [1451543] Low CVE-2023-4908: Inappropriate implementation in Picture in Picture.
• [1463293] Low CVE-2023-4909: Inappropriate implementation in Interstitials.

As you can see from these fixes, the focus is not just on a single type of vulnerability. Google has patched multiple vulnerabilities discovered by its security team, as well as individual contributors.

Update to Chrome 117

Google Chrome is configured to be updated automatically by default. You can keep browsing the internet while Chrome downloads the newest version for you. It gets installed when you restart the browser.

If you already have Google Chrome installed on your computer, then updating it would be easy. Follow the guide below to update your existing Chrome browser to version 117.

Note: The upgrade will only take place if you are part of the Extended Stable Channel release. There is no way to check, except for checking for the available update using these steps.

1. Open Google Chrome and click on the ellipses (3 dots) in the top-right corner.

   

2. Expand Help and click “About Google Chrome.”

   

3. Once the update is complete, click “Relaunch.”

   

   Note: The browser closes when you click Relaunch and then reopens, restoring all closed tabs.

The browser will now close and reopen. Once it does, you can navigate to the “About Google Chrome” page again and confirm that it has indeed been updated.

There are a few different methods that can also be used to update your Chrome browser to the latest version, including:

• Update using Google update
• Use the downloaded Chrome installer
• Using Ninite
• Download Chrome without using a browser

You can learn more about these methods in this guidepost.

You may also download the Chrome browser from the links below if you do not already have it.

Note: You may go through the Google Chrome updates blog to check the upcoming features in the beta and dev channels which will then be released to the upcoming version of Chrome 118 next month.

Download Google Chrome 117

Click on the links below to download Chrome 117 for the operating system of your choice:

Download Google Chrome offline installers [Stable, Beta, Dev, Canary]

Download: Google Chrome web installer

Download: Google Chrome offline installer

Download: Google Chrome MSI Installer [Enterprise Edition]

Download: Google Chrome for macOS

Download: Google Chrome Offline Installer for Linux

Download: Google Chrome for Android

Download: Google Chrome for iOS

Download: Google Chrome Portable

Install Google Chrome 117

Installing the Chrome browser on a Windows PC is as easy as downloading them. The process may vary for different platforms.

Download the file from the links above and then double-click it to execute. The rest of the process is pretty much automatic. The setup will download the required files (if the web installer was downloaded), install them for you and the browser will launch itself as soon as it is installed successfully.

How to uninstall Google Chrome

On a Windows PC, you can uninstall Google Chrome from the settings app, and the Programs & Features applet.

From the Settings app

1. Navigate to the installed apps tab.

   • In Windows 11:

     Settings app >> Apps >> Installed Apps

   • In Windows 10:

     Settings app >> Apps

2. Search for “Google Chrome.”

3. Click on the 3 dots in front of “Google Chrome.”

   

   On Windows 11, click on the ellipses (3 dots) in front of Chrome.

   On Windows 10, click on “Google Chrome” to expand it.

4. Click Uninstall.

   

5. Click Uninstall again.

   

From Programs and Features

1. Open the Programs and Features applet by typing in “appwiz.cpl” in the Run Command box.

   

2. Double-click “Google Chrome” from the list.

   

   Alternatively, right-click Chrome and then click Uninstall from the context menu.

Google Chrome will now be removed from your PC.

Google Chrome Releases Version History