India’s cybersecurity agency has issued an urgent warning to Google Chrome users after the discovery of critical security flaws that could allow attackers to compromise devices. The Chrome critical flaws were flagged by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) in a vulnerability advisory released on October 14, 2026, and Google has since released an update addressing 37 security flaws.
According to the advisory, the vulnerabilities affect Google Chrome for desktop computers. Users running outdated versions are advised to update immediately, as the flaws could expose devices and sensitive information to cyberattacks.
Chrome Critical Flaws: What CERT-In Found
CERT-In warned that multiple security weaknesses exist in Google Chrome for desktop, covering versions earlier than 155.0.8059.79 on Linux and 155.0.8059.79/.80 on Windows and macOS. Anyone running an older build falls within the scope of the advisory.
The agency said attackers could exploit the Chrome critical flaws to execute arbitrary code, gain access to sensitive information, or trigger denial-of-service conditions on affected systems. In practical terms, that means a compromised browser could be used to install malware, steal passwords and personal data, or crash the system.
Google has acknowledged the issues and released security fixes, which are being distributed gradually to users through the browser’s standard update channel. The scale of the exposure is significant: Chrome is the most widely used browser in India across government departments, offices and personal devices.
CERT-In, the national agency tasked with responding to cybersecurity incidents, issues such advisories regularly — but the severity rating here sets this one apart. The Chrome critical flaws have been assessed as high risk, a category reserved for weaknesses that could plausibly lead to full system compromise rather than minor mischief.
How the Chrome Critical Flaws Could Be Exploited
The most common attack route is the malicious website. A user can be tricked into visiting a compromised page or clicking a tainted link, at which point the browser’s own flaws do the attacker’s work — running code without permission, bypassing security restrictions, or siphoning data in the background.
CERT-In categorised the vulnerabilities as high risk because of their potential consequences, which include complete system compromise, data theft and the deployment of ransomware or spyware. Outdated browsers are a favourite target precisely because the fixes already exist; attackers simply bet that users have not installed them yet.
Both individuals and organisations using Chrome for desktop are within scope. For businesses, a single unpatched workstation can become a foothold into the wider network, which is why the Chrome critical flaws matter well beyond personal browsing — IT teams should treat this advisory with the same urgency as any server-side patch.
Security experts stress that keeping software current is one of the simplest and most effective defences available. An unpatched browser sitting behind an otherwise secure network remains an open door, and these Chrome critical flaws are a reminder of why updates should never be postponed.
How to Update Google Chrome Right Now
Updating Chrome takes less than a minute. Open the browser, click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, go to Help and select About Google Chrome. The browser will automatically check for updates and install them; once finished, click Relaunch so the new security patches take effect.
Users should also verify the update by reopening the About page and confirming the version number is at or above the fixed releases. Organisations managing fleets of desktops should push the update through their usual patch-management tools without delay.
It is also worth checking that automatic updates are switched on, so future fixes arrive without manual effort. Given that the Chrome critical flaws sat in the wild until Google’s patch, the gap between a fix being released and being installed is exactly where attackers operate.
Beyond the immediate fix, CERT-In’s advisory is a prompt for better habits: enable automatic updates where available, avoid clicking links in unsolicited messages, and treat any unexpected browser behaviour — sudden crashes, unfamiliar extensions, changed home pages — as a reason to investigate. With 37 flaws patched in a single release and the Chrome critical flaws rated high risk, this is one update Indian Chrome users cannot afford to skip.